UH200 – Ultrasonic Contact Impedance Hardness Tester

The UH200 ships with a 5 kgf manual probe. Manual probes are also available at 1, 2 and 10 kgf, and motorized probes at 0.3, 0.5, 0.8 and 1 kgf.

Manual probes are pressed onto the part by hand. They cover a wide hardness range with several measurement modes, any scale can be calibrated in any range, and each probe stores its calibrations in its own memory.

Motorized probes apply the load themselves, which is what makes the low forces repeatable. They are the choice for the light loads used on thin layers and small parts, where pressing a probe by hand at 0.3 kgf would not give consistent results.

Tell us the part, the coating and the hardness range you need to check, and we will recommend the probe force before you order.

The UH200 is specified at ±3% for HV, ±1.5 HRC on Rockwell C and ±3% for HB.

Those figures assume the instrument is calibrated for the material under test. A UCI reading depends on the elastic modulus as well as the indentation, so the default calibration suits plain and low-alloy steel, and other metals such as high-alloy steel, aluminum or titanium need a calibration against a sample of known hardness.

The UH200 stores up to 20 groups of calibration data, so a calibration made for one material can be recalled for the next job instead of being set up again.

Technique counts too. Hold the probe perpendicular to the surface, press it down at a steady rate and average several readings, and use certified hardness test blocks to check the instrument at regular intervals.

Yes. The UH200 is built to DIN 50159-1, the DIN test method for hardness testing of metallic materials by the UCI method, alongside ASTM A1038 and JB/T 9377-2010.

Part 1 of the DIN 50159 series sets out how the measurement is made on metallic materials and cemented carbide. Verification and calibration of the testing device sit in Part 2, and when results feed an acceptance decision the two parts are normally applied together.

DIN standards are cited with a date code, and requirements can change from one edition to the next, so your procedure should name the edition your customer specifies, for example DIN 50159-1:2022-06.

Send us the edition and the part you need to test, and we will confirm the probe and the verification setup to go with it.

Yes. The UCI method used by the UH200 complies with ASTM A1038, and ASTM A1038-05 is the 2005 edition of that practice for portable hardness testing by the ultrasonic contact impedance method.

The practice gives comparative hardness values taken on the part itself, which is why it suits finished components, large parts and features that cannot go to a bench tester. It is a surface method: a reading reflects the condition at that spot, not the whole part or the material below it.

Later revisions of A1038 are published as a test method rather than a practice, so if a drawing cites the -05 edition, the setup and report wording should follow that edition.

Rebound testing of steel products falls under ASTM A956 instead, and our NG-LeebGen 3000 is the Leeb rebound tester in our portable range.

The method used by UCI to measure hardness complies with ASTM A1038. The ultrasonic contact impedance (UCI) probe's intended use is for hardness testing in areas with a thin thickness (starting from 1 mm). It is explicitly made for assessing the hardness of surface-hardened layers and objects with complex surface shapes.

This technique is quick and straightforward: place the probe on the surface of the object being tested, apply the necessary pressure, and save the hardness value that appears on the device's display. All objects thicker than 1 mm can have their hardness value measured using a small diamond indenter. The hardness tester with the UCI probe leaves far smaller prints (imprints) than the majority of bench hardness testers would, making the UCI method of hardness testing the least harmful. The ideal option is a portable hardness tester with a UCI probe. Portable UCI Hardness Tester comes with a CE certificate of compliance.

Ultrasonic Contact Impedance Hardness Tester – UH200 has 136° Vickers Diamond Indenter.

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The economical line of the UH200 measures HRC 10-80, HB 200-550 and HV 200-999, so it covers three scales: Rockwell C, Brinell and Vickers.

The main line adds HRB, HRA, Shore and tensile strength values and spans a wider band on the Vickers and Brinell scales, so the choice depends on which scales appear on your drawings and how soft or hard the parts you check are.

Both lines measure Vickers hardness through the diamond indenter, and the other scales are conversions. The instrument's conversion tables apply to steel, so for other alloys a reading on a converted scale should be backed by a calibration on that material.

If you are choosing between the two, list the scales and the hardness band you report and we will match the line when we prepare your offer.

The main line covers HV 10-2980, HB 85-650, HRC 20-70, HRB 41-100, HRA 61-85.6 and HS 34.2-97.3, and it also gives tensile strength from 255 to 2180 N/mm².

Vickers is the native scale of the method, because the probe carries a Vickers diamond and the reading comes from the indentation it makes. The Rockwell, Brinell, Shore and strength values are conversions from it.

Readings can be taken in any direction, as the UH200 supports 360° measurement, which helps on vertical walls and on the underside of large parts.

When a drawing calls for a bench Vickers value, our Vickers and Knoop hardness testers handle that work in the lab, and the UH200 covers the parts that cannot be brought to the bench.

The UH200 runs on DC 6V. It is a handheld, low-voltage instrument, so it goes to the part on the shop floor, in the field or on site.

The housing is sealed with rubber protective strips and the display is frost resistant, which suits the instrument to workshops and outdoor work with humidity and dust.

Readings move to a computer through the supplied PC software, and an optional wireless mini printer gives a paper record at the test point.

One practical note from our maintenance guidance: a strong magnetic field reduces the accuracy of the precision sensor, so keep the UH200 away from strong magnetic materials and fields during and after use.

The UH200 arrives ready to measure, with the 5 kgf manual probe fitted. The standard package holds the main instrument, the 5 kgf manual probe, a probe cable, a USB cable, a probe silicone cap, the instrument manual, an accessories box and a certificate.

Packed with these accessories, the set weighs about 5 kg (11 lbs) in a 35 × 35 × 15 cm carton. The instrument itself measures 160 × 80 × 31 mm and weighs about 500 g without the probe.

Additional manual or motorized probes can be added to the same order, and certified test blocks for routine checks can be included as well.

The main unit is covered by our two year extended warranty, which excludes the probe.

With the help of an ultrasonic vibration sensor rod and the UH200 non-destructive ultrasonic hardness tester, it is possible to quickly determine the hardness of various metals without causing any damage.

A hand-held host and probe connected by a cable make up the ultrasonic hardness tester. To connect the Vickers pressure head, the probe has a vibration bar. The vibrating bar generates ultrasonic vibration. After the boot, the vibration frequency is fixed to the sensor on the vibrating bar to sense, the probe head lower end is pressed firmly into the material surface, and the micro-vibration rod to the shock to the material Microcrystal to enable the grain to vibrate at different frequencies. Once the two vibration frequencies are synchronized, it will result in resonance, making it possible for the sensor to sense.

NextGen’s Ultrasonic Contact Impedance Hardness Tester – UH200 can display the following data: Loading force, Testing-times, Testing result, Average, Maximum, Minimum, Deviation and Conversion scale.

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The surface roughness of your material depends on the type of probe you are hoping to test with. The below chart does an excellent job guiding you in the right direction based on your desired probe type. NOTE: HP-1K = 1kg probe, HP-2K = 2kg probe, etc.

Please refer to the below calibration steps for your Ultrasonic Hardness Testing System:

Step 1:
There are two HRC Blocks, one is 26.5, the other is 61.9. (Please check your block which may have a different value).

Step 2:
Measure the higher value hardness block first a few times. This will offer you a calculation of the average value. Note it down.

Step 3:
Press the "Set" button, the display shows "E". That is the set state. In this case, if you press the SET button, there will be 4 group values. First: the high block value 61.9; second: the high profile value (which may be around 45 - this is set by factory to guarantee accuracy; third: the Low block value, 26.5; forth: is the low profile value, (which may be around 14 - this is also set by the factory to guarantee accuracy).

When you calibrate the system, you need to only adjust the High profile value and the low profile value to correctly adjust the systems calibration. If on the first step when running your tests, you get a high average value of for example, 65; you need to adjust the high profile value to a higher value. It won't be (65-61.9=3.1), however, it may be 1,2,1.5,2.5. You will need to try it a few times to find the accurate value until you get your hardness block value of 61.9.

When calibrating the low value, the same process applies. Adjust the profile value to a higher value, when the test value is lower than the block value.

There are a few factors that may affect the reading accuracy. They include thickness, hardness, weight and also surface roughness. Please refer to the below roughness table for reference.

Here are the two most important questions we ask our clients to answer to help offer the optimal solution for their UCI needs.

#1 What are the hardness ranges of your materials?

#2 Would you happen to know the surface roughness of your materials?

Contact us today and one of our qualified representatives today to get the help that you need with the right solution for your Ultrasonic hardness testing requirements.

When performing UCI testing on harder and thinner materials of around 3mm because knives typically have a very high hardness, a 2mm or 3mm (1/8") thickness can be accurately tested directly. For example, gears and knives are typically hardened materials with hardness values in the carbide ranges. Provided the specimens are over 2mm thick, the operator is not required to stack the materials in order to gain accurate reading results.

Please refer to the below picture example of an abrasive cutting wheel with a 2 mm thickness tested on our UH200 model.

The UCI method reaches thin sections that rebound testers cannot. On a heavy product, walls from just over 1 mm can be checked, which covers pipes, tanks, steel sheet and thin-walled structures.

Small, light parts are different. A test piece under about 300 g, or a thin section without support, tends to oscillate with the probe and gives erratic readings. The answer is coupling: bed the part onto a thick, heavy, rigid base with a paste, grease or a thin oil film so the vibration passes into the base.

For coatings and hardened layers, the layer should be at least ten times as thick as the indentation depth, so the reading reflects the layer and not the substrate. This is the work the light motorized probe forces are for.

Our ASTM A1038-05 page explains the scope of the practice. Send us a drawing of a thin part and we will suggest the probe force and the support for it.

The UH200 model offers operating temperature between -10*C - +50*C. Additionally, the unit can be stored within temperature ranges of -30*C - +60*C.

The Ultrasonic tester can get the HV scale directly, and support conversions for the following scales and ranges:
HBW (85-650) / HRA (61-85.6) /HRB (41-100) /HRC (20-70)/HS (34.2-97.3), etc.

NextGen's Ultrasonic hardness tester offers HV scale range of 8-1500 HV for the Main Line model and 200-999 for the Economical Line model.

The UH200 ultrasonic tester comes standard with a Brinell scale which it automatically converts and displays hardness readings on the unit. Simply set the scale to HBW and the unit will take care of the rest.

The main accessories available for the UH200 ultrasonic hardness testing instrument include a variety of probes. There are manual as well as automatic motorized probes. Probes for hard to reach areas with long needle point indenters and shorter probes for getting into tight spaces. We also have a variety of forces available for our probes which require different loading forces before a measurement is ready. This is especially useful when you are looking to UCI test more fragile specimens.

With a variety of hardness probes requiring different forces, the ultrasonic contact impedance hardness testing system is prepared to test on applications as delicate as metal foil and reach as far as finished work pieces, electroplating layers, carburizing layers, nitriding layers and other heat treat hardness testing requirements.

While the UCI tester does use a Vickers indenter, the instrument will provide values in Vickers, Brinell and Rockwell (HRC and HRB). With the UH200 UCI portable hardness tester, you can set and forget about constantly requiring to change your favorite scale.

Using a Vickers indenter and ultrasonic technology, the hardness tester is first calibrated using a sample of known hardness. The working principle, in short, is the use of an oscillating rod inside your hardness probe. When you apply force to the indenter on your sample, you change the frequency of the oscillating rod. By doing this, and having calibrated using the sample of known hardness, the ultrasonic hardness tester can compare and determine your material hardness.