Equotip 550: one instrument for Leeb, Rockwell and UCI
- Measuring performance
- High accuracy, customer-specific conversions, combined methods
- Powerful hardware
- Robust housing, high-performance battery, versatile connectivity
- Ease of use
- Large touchscreen, personalised displays, customer-specific reports
Leeb measuring method
The Leeb measuring principle is based on the dynamic rebound method. An impact body with a tungsten carbide test tip is propelled by spring force against the surface of the test piece. When the impact body strikes the test surface, the surface deforms, resulting in a loss of kinetic energy. This energy loss is determined by comparing the velocities vi and vr when the impact body is at a defined distance from the surface during the impact and rebound phases of the measurement respectively. The velocities are measured by means of a permanent magnet in the impact body, which induces a voltage in a coil positioned precisely in the impact device. The detected voltage is proportional to the velocity of the impact body. The resulting signal is converted into a hardness value.
Portable Rockwell measuring method
The Equotip Portable Rockwell test method is based on the conventional static Rockwell test method. In measurements with the Equotip Portable Rockwell probe, a diamond indenter is pressed into the sample with a precisely controlled force. The penetration depth of the diamond is measured continuously during loading with the test force and during unloading. Based on the penetration depths d1 and d2, which are measured under defined test forces, the difference Δ = d2 – d1 is calculated. This represents the plastic deformation.
UCI measuring method
The UCI method (UCI: Ultrasonic Contact Impedance) uses the same pyramid-shaped diamond as conventional Vickers hardness testers. Unlike the Vickers test, no optical evaluation of the indentation is required, which enables fast and portable measurements. In the UCI method, a rod is excited into ultrasonic oscillation. The test force is applied via a spring and typically lies in a range from HV1 to HV10, i.e. ~10 N to ~100 N. When the diamond is pressed into the material, the frequency of the rod oscillation changes in response to the contact area between the diamond and the material being tested. The instrument determines the frequency shift and converts it into a hardness value, which is shown immediately on the display.
Compact Leeb hardness testers
Equotip Bambino 2
Direct, straightforward hardness testing on most metals. The Bambino 2 is a cost-effective, easy-to-use rebound tester that works without a separate display unit and without cables. The lightweight type D impact device is compact and ready for use in no time.
The DL accessory kit extends the range of applications: the slim measuring nose allows testing in confined spaces, in recesses and on small test locations.
Equotip Piccolo 2
The Piccolo 2 is used to check and document the hardness of high-strength metal components, for example in the automotive industry, and is particularly suitable for large lifting components.