Ultrasonic Contact Impedance Hardness Testers

UCI method allows for determining comparative hardness values on metallic elements. It can also be used to take hardness measurements on positions difficult to reach, such as tooth flanks or roots of gears.

Portable UCI Hardness Tester NOVOTEST T-U3 is easy for operate and is suitable for field, workshop or laboratory conditions. This device has the advantage of leaving much smaller prints (imprints) than the majority of bench hardness testers would.

Optical Hardness Tester

UCI portable hardness tester is an ideal machine for rapid, accurate comparative testing in field or workshop conditions. It is a simple, “plug and measure” device with a host connected via cable that uses the ultrasonic contact impedance method to perform hardness measurement. It can be used to measure the hardness of a sample within the ranges of the main hardness scales – HB, HRC and HV.

The test method does not damage the material tested and is non-destructive. The measurement results can be converted to any hardness scale, such as Rockwell, Brinell or Vickers. The test is based on measuring the depth of an indent in the material caused by a diamond pyramid indenter subjected to a certain test load. The length of the diagonals of this indentation is measured optically.

Unlike conventional methods with static application of the test force, the UCI technique allows for testing even small areas that cannot be reached with a dynamic type tester. The UCI procedure is much faster than conventional testing techniques, making it a highly efficient alternative to other hardness measuring methods.

Portable Hardness Tester

The UCI measuring technology used in the SONODUR 3 enables measurements to be made even under difficult test conditions. Its reference to the standardized classic Vickers hardness scale allows direct comparison with values obtained by other testing methods and avoids any confusion with different indenter geometries and measurement methods.

In these portable hardness testers, a spring-loaded impact body is thrust against the test material and the speed of both the initial thrust and the rebound is measured electronically in a non-contact mode. The result is a hardness value that can be automatically converted to Rockwell C, B, Brinell and Vickers values.

In addition, the patented signal processing in the Krautkramer instrument determines and compensates for changes in the impact direction. This makes this device suitable for use wherever classic, destructive testing is not possible. For example, it can be used to perform inspection tasks on serial parts in production and for quality assurance purposes. It is also used to measure metal thin layers such as electroplating, carburizing or nitriding layers.

Electronic Hardness Tester

The UH200 nondestructive ultrasonic contact impedance hardness tester uses a vibration sensor rod to quickly and accurately detect the hardness of metals without damage. This portable and convenient machine supports value conversion between HV, HB and HRC and the average of multiple measurement results can also be determined. The results can be displayed and printed easily.

It is ideal for testing the hardness of welds and thin-walled objects such as pipes, tanks, special shape parts and steel sheets. It also enables the testing of fine-grained materials and objects with complex geometries that are difficult to test using other methods.

Unlike mechanical-type portable hardness testers, which use a dial and weight system, digital UCI portable hardness testers like the SONODUR 3 can automatically convert test results into Rockwell C, Vickers or Brinell and MPa tensile strength. This eliminates the need to use a separate Brinell indenter and makes testing easier and faster than ever. The UCI method also allows for testing of objects with low-impact forces, such as light-force Brinell.

Ultrasonic Hardness Tester

The PHASE II PHT-6001 Ultrasonic Hardness Tester uses the UCI method of non-destructive hardness testing to measure surface-hardened layers. Unlike traditional Leeb probes that leave an imprint on the surface of the product, the UCI measuring technique does not leave any marks and requires only a small contact area. This allows for quick, accurate measurements of difficult-to-reach areas such as welds and heat-affected zones, ion-nitride stamping dies and molds, gear teeth, etc.

The UCI method works by comparing the vibration frequency of a probe with the 136-degree diamond at the end of the vibrating rod against that of the test material. The resulting adjustment curve is used to calculate the Vickers hardness value out of the measured frequency shift. This method can be used for all types of materials and is especially useful in applications where classic impact tests are not possible or not appropriate. The UCI testing process is portable, fast, and accurate.