Materials, Properties and Design

· The three steps in a hardness measurement are illustrated below. The table is adjusted to bring the indenter into contact with the sample surface and a pre-load is applied.
· The major load is then applied and the indenter is allowed to penetrate the sample.
· The major load is removed and the plastic penetration measured by the hardness scale on the dial gauge.

After: El Wakil,
"Materials Science and Engineering Lab Manual," PWS (1994)