Repeatable, uniform application of force into the material to achieve highly accurate measurements

The rugged, mechanical construction of the motorized measuring probes is designed for everyday industrial use. The massive housing made of anodized aluminum protects the sophisticated mechanics. This provides high long-term stability of the probe in order to guarantee high accuracy requirements for measurement precision. The modern signal processing in the probe with standard USB interface to the display device allows universal adaptation to most devices.

In addition, the probes can be used in a highly variable manner. Thanks to the integrated motor control, the adjustable test load application time (penetration time), and the variety of probe feet, the measurement can be controlled manually, semi-automatically or fully automatically.

Our motorized measuring probes can be used with both the SONODUR 3 mobile hardness tester and the SONODUR R, which was developed for fully automatic production.

The intelligent measuring system of each probe covers the entire hardness range of the classic Vickers scale. Motor measuring probes operate with significantly lower test forces than hand-held probes, making them particularly suitable for sensitive surfaces on which only minimal test indentations are to be made. The field of application includes thin, sensitive surface layers such as in the printing industry, for pistons and plating as well as sensitive components/materials or the measurement of surface hardness in the copper gravure printing industry or the automotive industry.

Our probes work according to the UCI hardness testing method. Here, the probe rod is excited to oscillate in longitudinal direction with its natural frequency. At the lower end there is a Vickers diamond which is pressed into the material to be tested. A defined load is applied via a spring system. When the Vickers diamond penetrates the specimen, this vibration is damped and a frequency shift occurs, which can be measured. From this frequency shift, we calculate the hardness value using the Vickers scale after the nominal test force has been reached with the final position of the motor and after the programmed penetration time has elapsed.

The main difference in the procedure compared to the classical Vickers hardness test is, among other things, that the contact area of the Vickers diamond is responsible for the frequency shift of the vibrating rod. In contrast, in classical hardness testing, the indentation of the diamond must be measured optically.

Technical Data

Test method: UCI-method, according to DIN 50159-1,2-2021, ASTM A1038-2019
Penetration time: according to standard DIN EN 6607-1
Material probe housing: Aluminium
Dimensions probe housing: 38.5 mm x 188 mm
Material measuring tip: Diamant
Diameter measuring tip: 3.4 mm
Length of measuring tip: 33 mm
Tip angle measuring tip: 136°
Connection: wired via Lemo plug connection