The surface hardness of conventional spherical workpieces can be directly measured by Rockwell hardness tester (see the figure below ).
However, for tiny spherical workpieces (as shown in the figure below), direct testing is hindered by their small size and difficult positioning. How can we resolve this issue?
To address the difficulties in testing miniature spherical workpieces, we offer two proven positioning solutions:
Tooling Positioning Method: Use nuts matching the workpiece dimensions as positioning fixtures. Place the spherical workpieces steadily into the nut bores, ensuring they are firmly secured without shaking or tilting before conducting the test.
Mounting & Fixing Method: If no suitable tooling is available, use the metallographic mounting press like below to embed and fix the workpiece, so as to provide stable support for hardness testing.
After securing the workpieces, we perform the hardness test with the 10kg Vickers hardness tester. The testing procedures are as follows:
1.Place the nut with the aluminum ball steadily and centrally on the tester’s worktable.
2.Turn on the light source of the hardness tester and adjust the brightness to a proper level, avoiding overexposure and shadows.
3.Rotate the focusing handwheel slowly until the image of the aluminum ball surface is clear with sharp edges.
3.Move the manual XY worktable to align the center of the field of view with the apex of the aluminum ball, ensuring the test point is at the highest point of the spherical surface.
4.Set the test parameters on the hardness tester interface, here we choose HV2 scale.
5.Click the Start button. The Vickers hardness tester will automatically lower the indenter, then loading -dwell-unloading till complete indentation.
6.After indentation, click Auto Measurement. The measuring system of the Vickers hardness tester automatically identifies the indentation and calculates the hardness value, with the HV hardness result displayed on the screen.
For above Rockwell hardness tester，metallographic mounting press and vickers hardness tester, welcome to browse our website. We are ready to answer your questions.
HRS-150X:
https://www.hardnesshv.com/hrs-150x-screw-up-automatic-touch-screen-rockwell-hardness-tester-product/
ZXQ-2S:
https://www.hardnesshv.com/zxq-2s-automatic-metallographic-mounting-press-with-water-cooling-system-can-prepare-two-samples-at-one-time-product/
HVT-10A:
https://www.hardnesshv.com/hvt-50hvt-50a-vickers-hardness-tester-with-measuring-system-product/
Post time: May-29-2026
