With strict testing procedures and advanced testing equipment, Sionstar MACH's castings and forgings can always meet customer requirements.

In various fields where metal materials are widely used in industrial manufacturing, hardness, as one of the important mechanical performance indicators of metal materials, is like a precise ruler, measuring the quality and applicability of materials. Especially in scenarios with strict requirements for heat treatment, hardness testing has become the core means of evaluating the mechanical properties and performance of metal materials, providing a key basis for companies focusing on casting and forging products to control product quality. 

Working principle of hardness testing equipment

There are many methods for hardness testing, including Brinell hardness test, Rockwell hardness test and Vickers hardness test, etc. The working principles of the equipment used in different test methods also have their own characteristics. 

Brinell hardness testing equipment measures hardness based on the indentation area. During the test, a carbide ball indenter of a certain diameter is pressed into the surface of the metal material under the action of a specified test force, and the test force is removed after a certain period of time. By measuring the indentation diameter, the Brinell hardness value is calculated using a formula. The principle is that the harder the material, the smaller the indentation produced when the indenter presses into the material surface, and vice versa. 

The Rockwell hardness test equipment determines the hardness by measuring the indentation depth. It uses a diamond cone or steel ball indenter to first apply an initial test force to make the indenter contact well with the surface to be tested, and then apply the main test force to press the indenter into the material surface. After removing the main test force, measure the residual depth of the indentation under the initial test force, and read the Rockwell hardness value directly from the hardness dial according to the size of the residual depth. This method is easy to operate and efficient, and is suitable for batch testing. 

The working principle of the Vickers hardness test equipment is similar to that of the Brinell hardness, and is also based on the indentation area. However, it uses a regular tetrahedral diamond indenter, which is pressed into the material surface under the test force, and the test force is removed after a certain period of time. The diagonal length of the indentation is measured, and the Vickers hardness value is calculated. The advantages of the Vickers hardness test are small indentation, small damage to the sample surface, and thin parts and surface hardened layers can be tested. 

The importance of hardness testing: quality control

In the production process of casting and forging products, hardness testing is a key link in quality control. Taking cast products as an example, different casting processes and alloy compositions will affect the hardness of the material. Through hardness testing, defects that may occur in the casting process, such as component segregation, overheating or overburning, can be discovered in time. If the hardness value does not meet the design requirements, it means that the product may have quality risks such as insufficient strength and poor wear resistance, and the production process needs to be adjusted in time to ensure stable product quality. 

For forged products, hardness testing is equally important. Factors such as the degree of deformation, heating temperature and cooling rate during the forging process will affect the hardness of the material. Through hardness testing, it can be verified whether the forging process is reasonable and ensure that the product has uniform hardness and good mechanical properties. For example, when producing key forged parts such as automobile crankshafts, strict hardness testing can ensure that it can withstand complex loads during use and avoid failures such as fractures caused by substandard hardness. 

The importance of hardness testing: performance evaluation

Hardness is closely related to other mechanical properties of metal materials, such as strength and toughness. Generally speaking, materials with higher hardness tend to have higher strength, but the toughness may be relatively low. Through hardness testing, the comprehensive mechanical properties of the material can be preliminarily evaluated, providing a reference for product design and material selection. For example, when designing mechanical parts that need to withstand high wear, choosing materials with higher hardness can increase the service life of the parts; when designing parts that need to withstand impact loads, it is necessary to comprehensively consider hardness and toughness and choose appropriate materials. 

Importance of hardness testing: verification of heat treatment effect

Heat treatment is an important process to improve the performance of metal materials, and hardness testing is an effective method to verify the effect of heat treatment. Different heat treatment processes, such as quenching, tempering, annealing, etc., will have a significant impact on the hardness of the material. Through hardness testing, it can be judged whether the heat treatment process has achieved the expected effect, such as whether the hardness of the material after quenching meets the specified requirements, and whether the hardness and toughness of the material after tempering have achieved a good match. 

In the field of metal material manufacturing, hardness testing is an important means to ensure product quality and performance. Sionstar MACH has always regarded hardness testing as a key link in product quality control. With rigorous testing procedures and advanced testing equipment, our casting and forging products can always meet the use requirements of customers. Sinostar MACH also has outstanding performance in related testing fields and provides reliable testing services for the industry.