O Brinell Hardness Testing Machine

The Brinell scale characterizes the indentation hardness of materials through the scale of penetration of an indenter, loaded on a material test-piece. It is one of several definitions of hardness in materials science Method - All Brinell tests use a carbide ball indenter. The test procedure is as follows: The indenter is pressed into the sample by an accurately controlled test force The force is maintained for a specific dwell time, normally 10 - 15 seconds After the dwell time is complete, the indenter is removed leaving a round indent in the sample The size of the indent is determined optically by measuring two diagonals of the round indent using either a portable microscope or one that is integrated with the load application device The Brinell hardness number is a function of the test force divided by the curved surface area of the indent. The indentation is considered to be spherical with a radius equal to half the diameter of the ball