In heat treatment, the determination of hardening depths plays an important role in characterizing the quality of the heat treatment process. As a rule, samples are cut out of the component or finished product, ground, polished and the hardness depth curve determined with a microhardness tester.
With the hardness testers of the HTD series, the hardness depth up to approx. 3 mm can be determined without complex specimen preparation. The instruments work with maximum test loads of 1500 kp (14715 N) or 4000 kp (39227 N). The force penetration depth curve is continuously recorded and the hardness depth is determined using a special evaluation algorithm (Bückle approach).
Compared to the conventional test method, a drastic reduction of the test duration and an increase of the production output can be achieved. No specially trained personnel is required for testing and the method is particularly suitable for monitoring serial parts.
