Hard Alloy Machining: A Comprehensive Guide to Hardness Testing of Hard Alloys!
Release date:
2021-07-22
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Hard alloy hardness testing primarily uses a Rockwell hardness tester to measure the HRA hardness value. The PHR series portable Rockwell hardness testers are particularly well-suited for evaluating the hardness of hard alloys. These instruments offer the same weight and precision as benchtop Rockwell hardness testers, making them both easy to use and highly convenient for portability.
Cemented carbide is a type of metal whose hardness test can reveal the differences in mechanical properties of the material under varying chemical compositions, microstructural features, and heat treatment processes. Therefore, hardness testing is widely used for inspecting the performance of cemented carbides, monitoring the accuracy of heat treatment procedures, and supporting research into new materials.
Characteristics of Hardness Testing
It is a non-destructive testing method with a relatively simple procedure. Hard alloy hardness testing demonstrates strong adaptability to the shape and dimensions of the test specimen, making it highly efficient. Moreover, there is a clear correlation between the hardness of hard alloy materials and their other physical properties. For instance, both the hardness test and tensile test for hard alloys essentially evaluate the metal's ability to resist plastic deformation—making these two tests, in a sense, complementary approaches that assess similar material characteristics. As a result, the results from these two tests are entirely comparable. However, while the tensile testing equipment for hard alloys is bulky and complex to operate, requiring specimen preparation and delivering low testing efficiency, many metallic materials already have readily available conversion tables linking hardness and tensile strength tests. Consequently, when assessing the mechanical properties of hard alloy materials, hardness testing has become increasingly favored over tensile testing.
Hardness Testing Tool
Hard alloy hardness is typically measured using either the Rockwell hardness tester on the HRA scale or the Vickers hardness tester. In practice, most people prefer the Rockwell tester for determining HRA hardness. The PHR series of portable Rockwell hardness testers is particularly well-suited for testing the hardness of hard alloys. Weighing only 0.7 kg, these instruments deliver accuracy comparable to their benchtop counterparts. When measuring the hardness of hard alloys, the PHR series portable Rockwell hardness testers manufactured by Tianxing Company can handle workpieces with thicknesses or diameters up to 50 mm—and even test hard alloy components as small as 2.0 mm in diameter. Additionally, they are capable of inspecting tubular hard alloy parts with inner diameters as narrow as 30 mm. These testers can also be conveniently used directly at production sites, sales locations, or material warehouses. Offering a simple, rapid, and non-destructive method for hardness testing, this instrument allows for efficient, piece-by-piece hardness evaluation of both finished and semi-finished hard alloy products—making it ideal for quality control in large-scale production environments.

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