Brinell | ||
No specimen preparation required | Specimens need to be prepared | |
Hardness value directly readable, no optical evaluation required | Good illumination of the test indent is important for ensuring correct evaluation of the test indent (e.g. with the aid of a ring light). | Due to the need to conduct optical indent evaluation, Vickers hardness testers must be equipped with an optical system |
The process is slow (by comparison with the Rockwell method). The test cycle takes somewhere between 30 and 60 seconds | The process is rather slow. The test cycle takes somewhere between 30 and 60 seconds | |
Limitation in applying the method on thin specimens of very hard materials | ||
Not always the most accurate hardness testing method | High risk of deforming the material to be tested when testing in the macro range with high test loads | More expensive to purchase than Rockwell testers due to optical system |
The test location must be completely free of all contamination (e.g. scale, foreign bodies or oil) | The surface quality of the specimen must be good, because the indent is measured optically | The surface quality of the specimen must be good (ground and polished) |
The indenter has unknown effects on the test results | Relatively large test indents that are easier to measure the rather small Vickers indentations | |
With increasing hardness, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between materials | Can be used for testing non-homogeneous materials (e.g. castings) | The Vickers method can be used with any and all materials and test specimens |