Information on the most widely used ASTM standards within the materials testing industry
Hardness indenter, ball indenter
Different Types of Indenters in Hardness Testing
There are various types of indenters, each designed for specific hardness testing methods and material types. Below are some of the most common types:
Diamond Cone:
These indenters are mainly used in Rockwell hardness testing. The diamond cone has a tip with an opening angle of 120 degrees and is suitable for very hard materials. It offers high precision and long service life due to the extreme hardness of the diamond.
Carbide Balls:
These indenters are used in Brinell and Rockwell hardness testing. They are primarily used for softer materials such as metals and plastics. The balls come in various diameters, typically 1, 2.5, 5, and 10 mm. They offer good wear resistance and even pressure distribution. For Brinell hardness testing, the balls are often made of carbide and are also available in inch sizes.
Diamond Pyramids:
Used in Vickers hardness testing, these indenters have a pyramidal tip with a square base. The pyramid has an opening angle of 136 degrees. For measurements on thin layers and small samples, the Knoop diamond is used. This hardness testing method uses a rhombohedral pyramidal diamond indenter (long edge angle 172.5°; short edge angle 130°).
Non-magnetic Indenters:
For special applications where magnetic interference needs to be avoided, there are indenters made of non-magnetic materials. These are used in environments where the magnetic properties of the test samples could be affected, such as testing electronic components or in combination with magnetic test tables.
General Introduction
Different Types of Indenters in Hardness Testing
There are various types of indenters, each designed for specific hardness testing methods and material types. Below are some of the most common types:
Diamond Cone:
These indenters are mainly used in Rockwell hardness testing. The diamond cone has a tip with an opening angle of 120 degrees and is suitable for very hard materials. It offers high precision and long service life due to the extreme hardness of the diamond.
Carbide Balls:
These indenters are used in Brinell and Rockwell hardness testing. They are primarily used for softer materials such as metals and plastics. The balls come in various diameters, typically 1, 2.5, 5, and 10 mm. They offer good wear resistance and even pressure distribution. For Brinell hardness testing, the balls are often made of carbide and are also available in inch sizes.
Diamond Pyramids:
Used in Vickers hardness testing, these indenters have a pyramidal tip with a square base. The pyramid has an opening angle of 136 degrees. For measurements on thin layers and small samples, the Knoop diamond is used. This hardness testing method uses a rhombohedral pyramidal diamond indenter (long edge angle 172.5°; short edge angle 130°).
Non-magnetic Indenters:
For special applications where magnetic interference needs to be avoided, there are indenters made of non-magnetic materials. These are used in environments where the magnetic properties of the test samples could be affected, such as testing electronic components or in combination with magnetic test tables.

Key Features
ASTM E10 “Standard Test Method for Brinell Hardness of Metallic Materials”
ISO 6506 “Metallic materials -- Brinell hardness test”
ASTM E18 “Standard Test Methods for Rockwell Hardness of Metallic Materials”
ISO 6508 “Metallic materials — Rockwell hardness test”
ASTM E384 “Standard Test Method for Microindentation Hardness of Materials”
ISO 6507 “Metallic materials -- Vickers hardness test”
4.1. Determination of Brinell, Vickers and Rockwell hardness of ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals and cemented carbides:
4.2. Brinell hardness of castings, annealed steel, normalized steel, non-ferrous metals and soft alloys;
4.3. Rockwell hardness of quenched, Quenched and tempered materials;
4.4. Vickers hardness of nitrided layer, ceramics, thin plate, metal sheet, electrodeposited coating and micro parts;
Main Technical Specification
| Product Name | Specification | Mark |
| Diamond Rockwell indenter | HRC、HRA | ![]() |
| Internal spiral (used for convex nose Rockwell hardness tester) | ||
| Tungsten carbide Rockwell indenter | HRB(1.588) | ![]() |
| Tungsten carbide Brinell steel ball | φ10 、φ5、φ2.5 | |
| Tungsten carbide steel ball | φ10、Φ5 、Φ2.5 、Φ3 face | ![]() |
| φ1.588 | ||
| Vickers indenter | 136° | ![]() |
| Leeb test impact sheet | ![]() | |
| Micro-vicker’s test indenter | 136º | ![]() |
| Knoop indenter | ![]() |
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