Brinell Hardness Testing Machine: An Effective Means Of Assessing Material Hardness

The Brinell Hardness Testing Machine is one of the accurate measuring machines which is extensively used to measure the Brinell hardness of any material and it is mainly applicable for the metals and al lays which are used in manufacturing industries. This testing is called the Brinell method; today, it has been actively applied for over a century in many industries, such as manufacturing, construction, and metallurgy. It has been preferred since most techniques it uses are fast and accurate and on the other hand, it does not care what material it is testing.

Vicker micro hardness testing is a test of a material to determine its competency to bend when a force is applied in any direction. It is useful when measuring the strength, endurance, and rate of wear of a material under test.

What is the process of the Brinell hardness test?

Just like the Rockwell and Matlock hardness test, the Brinell Hardness Test demands its right to press hard steel or a tungsten carbide ball into the surface of a material under a given load. Here's how it works:

Setup: The material to be tested is placed on the test platform of the machine that was used in such tests.

Indenter and Load: The indenter is a spherical tool of hardened steel or carbide with a diameter of 10mm. A specific load is applied on the ball and according to some cases it is defined between 500 – 300; 2000; and 3000 kg.

Test Duration: The load is applied for a typical time usually between 10 to 30 seconds.

Measurement: Subsequent to the load having been removed, the dimensions of the depression left on the material after the load is lifted are then determined using a measuring device such as a microscope or an optical device.

Calculation: The numerical hardness values are measured in terms of Brinell Hardness Number (BHN) that has been computed by the following formula load/area of the indentation = (ball diameter- indentation size).

Characteristics of a Brinell hardness testing machine

Durable Construction: The equipment is intended to bear large pressures and provide reliable conditions for testing.

Accurate Indentation Measurement: Accompanied with a precise optic or a digital camera to determine the indentation diameter.

User-Friendly Controls: Contemporary devices have buttons and indicator lights or levers and buttons that make the devices run with simple instructions.

Versatility: Ideal for testing different categories of materials; castings, forgings, and softer metals of aluminium type.

Advantages of the Brinell hardness test

Simplicity: Testing is quite simple and it does not take much effort to learn it.

Wide Applicability: It is used where large parts are tested such as large castings or structures that have a rough surface texture.

Reliable Results: Ensures that standard and reliable measurements are obtained.

Non-Destructive Testing: This inflicts minimum damage to the material under test which makes possible successive tests.

Uses and Needs for Brinell Hardness Testing Machines

Automotive Industry: Used in the testing of items such as gears, crankshafts and bearings.

Metal Fabrication: It helps to achieve the level of hardness for materials that have been set for particular purposes.

Quality Control: Checks the quality of all the incoming raw materials and or finished products.

Research and Development: It also assists scientists and engineers in making decisions on new materials.