UniGen – Universal Hardness Tester (Rockwell, Vickers, Brinell)

NextGen's UniGen is a versatile all-in-one Universal Hardness Testing System. The unit is specifically designed to offer industry leading user-friendliness combined with a robust built for accurate and repeatable Vickers/Knoop, Rockwell and Brinell Hardness testing measurement results.

The main features of our Universal Hardness Tester for Vickers / Knoop, Rockwell and Brinell are:

• Equipped with Brinell, Rockwell, Vickers test methods;
• Large touch-screen interface for ease of operation;
• Closed loop system with the highest accuracy load cell avoiding the need to install weights;
• Automated test force correction and force compensated to ensure the a high level of accuracy;
• Meets all up-to-date industry standards and conversions;
• Rockwell hardness testing function has an auto-correct curvature radius;
• Password protection for setup parameters;
• Large samples and testing information capacity;
• Supplied with a disc to save data to EXCEL format for ease of editing and processing;
• Modular design for easy maintenance.

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This Standard, which is applicable to both stationary and portable hardness testing equipment, details the procedure for Rockwell regular hardness and Rockwell superficial hardness tests for metallic materials. Tables 1 and 2 display the scales and the range of hardness.

Other requirements must be followed for some products and materials, such as hardmetals (for instance, ISO 3738-1 and ISO 4498).

It should be noted that according to ISO 6508-1, steel ball indenters are only permitted to be used in tests that adhere to Annex A and that the standard type of ball indenters for Rockwell regular hardness and Rockwell superficial hardness is tungsten carbide composite (hereafter referred to as hardmetal indenter balls).

At the time of the subsequent revision, this Standard will adopt hardmetal indenter balls as the standard indenter (see Table 1, Table 2, 5.2, 6.3 and Table E.1). Even in this situation, it is planned to conduct the test in accordance with Annex A using steel balls as the standard indenter.

To sum up, NextGen’s Universal Hardness Tester for Vickers / Knoop, Rockwell and Brinell implement JIS Z2245 Standard.

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The SI-derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference (voltage), and electromotive force is the volt (symbol: V). When an electric current of one ampere wastes one watt of power between two locations on a conducting wire, that potential is known as one volt. Equivalently, one joule of energy will be transferred for every coulomb of charge that passes across the difference in potential between two places.

220V is a certain electrical potential from a power source, or to put it another way, and it's the amount of force applied to get electrons to flow through an electrical connection. The common household voltage in a large number of nations is 220V.

NextGen's UniGen is a versatile all-in-one Universal Hardness Testing System. The unit is specifically designed to offer industry-leading user-friendliness combined with a robust built for accurate and repeatable Vickers/Knoop, Rockwell and Brinell Hardness testing measurement results.

Our Universal Hardness Tester for Vickers / Knoop, Rockwell and Brinell has a power supply of AC220V, 50-60Hz.

If you want a personalized quote, you can click here.

Brinell repeatability on the UniGen is ≤3.0 (Hcf/%) across the 8-650 HB range, and the indication accuracy for Brinell is ±2.5 (δ/%).

Repeatability describes how closely the machine agrees with itself. In the verification approach of ASTM E10, a series of indentations is made on a standard test block, and the range of the measured diameters is expressed as a percentage of their average. A small figure means a series of tests on uniform material gives a tight spread, which a laboratory needs before it can trust a single reading.

Two things hold that figure in daily use. Test force correction and compensation run automatically across the load range, and the impression diameter is read by the CCD camera and the automatic measuring software rather than by eye.

For scales A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, K, 15N, 30N, 45N, 15T, 30T, and 45T for metallic materials, ISO 6508 outlines the procedure and is applicable to both stationary and portable hardness testing devices.

Other specialized International Standards are applicable for particular materials and/or products (for instance, ISO 3738 1 and ISO 4498).

Principle: An indenter of specified size, shape, and material is forced into the surface of a test specimen under two force levels using the specific conditions defined in Clause 7. The specified preliminary force is applied, and the initial indentation depth is measured, followed by the application and removal of a specified additional force, returning to the preliminary force. The final indentation depths are then measured, and the Rockwell hardness value is derived from the difference, h, in the final and initial indentation depth and the two constants N and S as Rockwell Hardness = N-(h/s)

To answer your question – yes, NextGen’s Universal Hardness Tester for Vickers / Knoop, Rockwell and Brinell comply ISO 6508 Standard.

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The UniGen uses a 15X eyepiece with two objectives, 2.5X for Brinell and 5X for Vickers, which gives total magnification of 37.5X and 75X. 10X and 20X objectives are available as options.

The 2.5X objective takes in the larger Brinell indentations, and the 5X objective is used for Vickers diagonals and for the smaller Brinell indentations. Rockwell needs no optics, because the result is calculated from indentation depth and shown directly on the screen.

The UniGen also carries a CCD camera with automatic measuring software, so indentations can be measured on screen as well as by reading the eyepiece by hand.

If your indentations are very small, an optional higher power objective helps. Tell us the material and the force you test at, and we will recommend the objective to order with the machine.

Since the necessary calculations are independent of the indenter's size and the indenter may be used for any materials regardless of hardness, the Vickers test is frequently simpler to apply than other hardness tests. The fundamental idea, as with all conventional hardness measurements, is to look at a material's resistance to plastic deformation coming from a known source. All metals can be tested with the Vickers test, which also has one of the broadest scales of any hardness test.

The Vickers Pyramid Number (HV) or Diamond Pyramid Hardness is the term for the hardness measurement provided by the test (DPH). Although the hardness value can be expressed in pascals, pressure, which also employs the same units, should not be confused with it. The hardness number is determined by the load over the surface area of the indentation and not the area normal to the force and does therefore not pressure.

The following Vickers Scales are used in Universal Hardness Tester for Vickers / Knoop, Rockwell and Brinell: HV5, HV10, HV20, HV30, HV40, HV50, HV60, HV80, HV100, HV120

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Yes. The Vickers side of the UniGen is built to ISO 6507, together with ASTM E92, JIS Z2244 and GB/T 4340.2.

ISO 6507 is a multi-part series for Vickers hardness of metallic materials. Beyond the test method, it covers verification of the testing machine and indenter, calibration of reference blocks and the hardness tables used with the test.

That is why the UniGen arrives with a Vickers indenter and a Vickers hardness block, and why its software has a calibration routine for Brinell and Vickers against a certified block. Checking the machine on the block before and after testing is part of the routine we recommend.

If your procedure cites a specific part or edition of ISO 6507, send it to us and we will confirm the setup against it.

The assessment of metallic materials' Rockwell hardness and Rockwell superficial hardness using the Rockwell indentation hardness principle is covered by ASTM-E18 Standard. The standard outlines the specifications for Rockwell hardness testing equipment as well as the steps to take when conducting these tests. The indenter ball sizes were stated in units of inches, while the force levels were specified in kilograms-force (kgf) (in.).

According to this standard, force is measured in Newtons (N), and length is measured in millimetres in accordance with the International System of Units (SI) (mm). However, force numbers in kgf units and ball diameters in inch units are supplied for information, and much of the discussion in this standard refers to these due to historical precedent and ongoing general usage. The test principles, testing procedures, and verification procedures are essentially identical for both the Rockwell and Rockwell superficial hardness tests.

NextGen's Universal Hardness Tester for Vickers / Knoop, Rockwell and Brinell comply ASTM E-18 Standard.

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The Vickers hardness test method entails pressing a diamond indenter in the shape of a right pyramid with a square base and an angle of 136 degrees between opposed faces while applying stress ranging from 1 to 100 kgf on the test material. Typically, the entire load is applied for 10 to 15 seconds. Using a microscope, the two diagonals of the indentation left on the material's surface after the load has been removed are measured, and their average is computed.

Calculations are used to determine the size of the indentation's sloping surface. The result of dividing the kgf weight by the square millimetre area of the indentation is the Vickers hardness. The Vickers machine, a floor-standing instrument that costs more than the Brinell or Rockwell machines, is incredibly versatile and precise for testing the softest and hardest of materials under varied loads.

The following Vickers Test Force can be applied in Universal Hardness Tester for Vickers / Knoop, Rockwell and Brinell: 5kgf(49N), 10kgf(98N), 20kgf(196N), 30kgf(294N), 40kgf(392N), 50kgf(490N), 60kgf(588N), 80kgf(784N), 100kgf(980N), 120kgf(1176N)

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The UniGen covers 15 Rockwell scales: HRA, HRB, HRC, HRD, HRE, HRF, HRG, HRH, HRK, HRL, HRM, HRP, HRR, HRS and HRV.

Each scale pairs an indenter with a total force. HRA, HRD and HRC use the diamond indenter; HRF, HRB and HRG the 1/16 in ball; HRH, HRE and HRK the 1/8 in ball; HRL, HRM and HRP the 1/4 in ball; and HRR, HRS and HRV the 1/2 in ball.

HRC suits hardened and tempered steels, HRB mild steel, aluminum and copper alloys, and the large ball scales such as HRL, HRM and HRR are used on softer materials including hard plastics. When you pick a scale from the menu, the machine reminds you which indenter it needs.

The diamond indenter and the 1.588 mm carbide ball come as standard, and the larger balls for the other scales are supplied to order. Our guide to choosing a Rockwell scale explains how to match the scale to the part.

A GR&R study is a useful indicator of the tester's accuracy and the amount of variation the tester may be introducing into the process when performing Rockwell hardness testing. Even though GR&R evaluations in Rockwell testing are not always possible, once these issues are recognized and taken into account, GR&R assessment offers helpful process information. It is relatively simple and error-free to assess the GR&R performance of many different types of gauges, such as micrometres and callipers (using a gauge block of a known value to make repeated measurements on the same block and calculating the repeatability).

A GR&R examination on a Rockwell tester, however, presents unique challenges. For instance, a major barrier is the variance in the test sample because a Rockwell test is never conducted in the same area. As a result, a variation is introduced because no material has hardness that is fully uniform.

NextGen’s Universal Hardness Tester for Vickers / Knoop, Rockwell and Brinell has the Rockwell repeatability of 0.5HR.

You can click here if you'd like to obtain a personal quote.

The ISO creates and disseminates standards for a wide variety of goods, components, and procedures. In the ISO Standards database, which is divided into several categories like healthcare technology, railway engineering, jewellery, clothes, metallurgy, weapons, paint, civil engineering, agricultural, and aircraft, the organization now has around 24,362 standards. The ISO also publishes technical reports, technical specifications, publicly available specifications, technical corrigenda, and guides in addition to standards. Experts in related fields from around the world have agreed on the ISO standards. These are individuals—manufacturers, sellers, purchasers, customers, trade groups, users, or regulators—who are aware of the needs of their respective sectors. The Brinell hardness test for metallic materials is outlined in ISO 6506. 

It is applicable to both fixed location and portable hardness testing machines.

For some specific materials and/or products, particular International Standards exist (e.g. ISO 4498) and make reference to this International Standard.

NextGen’s Universal Hardness Tester for Vickers / Knoop, Rockwell and Brinell comply ISO 6506 Standard

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The UniGen applies Rockwell total test forces of 60 kgf (588 N), 100 kgf (980 N) and 150 kgf (1471 N), each after a preliminary test force of 10 kgf (98 N).

The preliminary force seats the indenter and sets the zero reference for depth. The machine then brings the load up to the total force, holds it, removes the additional force and calculates hardness from the remaining increase in depth. Both stages are applied automatically.

Force comes from a closed loop system with a high accuracy load cell, not dead weights, and test force correction and compensation run automatically across the range. For round parts, Rockwell testing includes automatic correction for the curvature radius.

The way these forces are applied and measured is defined in ASTM E18, which ties Rockwell results to set forces, indenters and machine verification.

Accuracy, repeatability, and correlation issues with Universal Vickers / Knoop, Rockwell and Brinell Hardness testing may often be divided into three categories and linked to five fundamental causes: the machine, the operator, and the environment, sample preparation, and calibration. It's crucial to clarify the issues before talking about the causes:

Accuracy: The instrument's capacity to read linearly on certified test blocks, which are accepted hardness standards, and its capacity to transfer this accuracy to test specimens.

Repeatability: The instrument's capacity to reproduce its findings when applied to accepted hardness standards.

Correlation: The ability of an instrument to generate results that are comparable to those obtained by another instrument that has been "fully calibrated"; or the capacity of two operators to measure the same impression with the same equipment and produce comparable findings.

The force error of our Universal Hardness Tester for Vickers / Knoop, Rockwell, and Brinell is just ＜0.5%.

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The UniGen implements a set of standards for each of its three methods. Rockwell runs to ISO 6508, ASTM E18, JIS Z2245 and GB/T 230.2. Brinell runs to ISO 6506, ASTM E10-12, JIS Z2243 and GB/T 231.2. Vickers runs to ISO 6507, ASTM E92, JIS Z2244 and GB/T 4340.2.

Each group pairs the international ISO method with its American, Japanese and Chinese counterparts, so the same machine can report to whichever one a customer specification names, without a separate tester for each market.

Current standards and the conversions between the methods are built into the software, so a result can be reported in the scale the specification asks for.

When you send a specification, name the standard and the scale together and we will confirm the setup for it.

Yes. The Brinell side of the UniGen is built to ASTM E10-12, together with ISO 6506, JIS Z2243 and GB/T 231.2.

ASTM E10-12 is the 2012 edition of ASTM E10, the standard test method for Brinell hardness of metallic materials. It sets requirements for the testing machine and the test procedure, and its annexes cover verification of Brinell machines and standardization of indenters and hardness test blocks.

On the UniGen, Brinell tests run with 2.5 mm and 5 mm carbide ball indenters, and two Brinell blocks are in the standard kit. Space your indentations so that centers are at least three indentation diameters apart and at least 2.5 diameters from the edge of the specimen.

If your purchase specification cites a later edition of E10, tell us which one and we will check it against the machine.

The UniGen applies ten Brinell test forces: 5 kgf (49 N), 6.25 kgf (61.25 N), 10 kgf (98 N), 15.625 kgf (153.125 N), 30 kgf (294 N), 31.25 kgf (306.25 N), 62.5 kgf (612.5 N), 100 kgf (980 N), 125 kgf (1225 N) and 187.5 kgf (1837.5 N).

Each force belongs to a ball diameter, and the pair sets the force-diameter ratio the Brinell method depends on. With the 2.5 mm ball, for example, 187.5 kgf gives the ratio of 30 used for steels and cast irons, 62.5 kgf gives 10, and 31.25 kgf gives 5 for softer alloys.

The force is applied by a closed loop system with a high accuracy load cell rather than dead weights, so changing the force means choosing the scale on the touchscreen, not changing weights.

The UniGen covers three methods on one frame, and its limits are where each method meets a dedicated machine. Rockwell runs on the regular scales, HRA to HRV. For superficial scales on thin sheet or case-hardened surfaces, our GenRock NG-150 covers both regular and superficial.

Vickers runs at HV5 to HV120, the macro range. Micro hardness, coatings and case depth profiles need far lighter loads, which is the work of our NG-1000 micro Vickers and Knoop tester.

Brinell forces top out at 187.5 kgf. Large castings and forgings that call for heavy Brinell loads belong on a dedicated machine, and our Brinell hardness testers are the place to look.

Part size is the last limit: vertically 220 mm for Rockwell and 150 mm for Vickers and Brinell, horizontally 200 mm.

The UniGen ships ready for all three methods, with an 8″ LCD touchscreen, a CCD camera and the automatic measuring software on the machine itself.

For the indentations, it comes with a Vickers indenter, Brinell carbide ball indenters of 2.5 mm and 5 mm, a Rockwell 1.588 mm carbide ball indenter and a NIST certified Rockwell diamond indenter. The optics are the 15X eyepiece and the 2.5X and 5X objective lenses, with exterior lighting.

Hardness blocks for Vickers, Rockwell and Brinell are included, along with large, medium and V test sets and a sliding test set. The rest is practical: a power line, two 2 A fuses, four adjustable level screws, a dust proof cover, an accessory box and a U disk with the operations manual.

Extra blocks for the scales you use most can be added from our certified hardness test blocks.

The UniGen covers ten Brinell scales: HBW1/5, HBW2.5/6.25, HBW1/10, HBW2.5/15.625, HBW1/30, HBW2.5/31.25, HBW2.5/62.5, HBW10/100, HBW5/125 and HBW2.5/187.5.

Each designation gives the test conditions. HBW means a tungsten carbide ball, the first number is the ball diameter in millimetres and the second is the test force in kilograms-force, so HBW2.5/187.5 is a 2.5 mm ball at 187.5 kgf.

The scale is chosen by the force-diameter ratio, 0.102F/D², to suit the material: 30 for steel, nickel and titanium alloys, and 10, 5 or 2.5 for cast iron, copper alloys and soft metals depending on their hardness. A well chosen scale leaves an indentation between 0.25D and 0.6D.

For 3000 kgf tests with a 10 mm ball, common on castings and forgings, our BrinGen 3000 Brinell tester is the machine to look at.

The UniGen measures 22 × 13.8 × 31.5 in (560 × 350 × 800 mm) and weighs 155 lb (70 kg) net. Packed for shipping it is 28.75 × 17.7 × 35.8 in (730 × 450 × 910 mm) and 219 lb (99 kg) gross.

That is a bench top footprint, but lifting the machine off its shipping skid and onto the bench is a job for several people. Choose a solid bench in a room held between 10 and 30 °C, with relative humidity no higher than 65% and free from vibration.

If you test tall parts, we recommend drilling a hole in the bench top under the anvil so it can be lowered to its lowest position, which gives the most usable height below the indenters.

Send us your bench dimensions and your largest part, and we will confirm the fit before delivery.

Yes. The setup parameters on the UniGen are password protected, so the test settings a laboratory has validated cannot be changed by whoever happens to be at the machine.

That matters most on a three-method tester. Scales, forces and calibration settings for Brinell, Rockwell and Vickers all live on one instrument, and locking them keeps an accredited method from drifting between audits.

The results themselves are kept on the machine, which has a large capacity for sample and test information, and they can be taken off on a USB flash disk. A disc is supplied for saving data in Excel format, so records move into your own quality system without retyping.

The UniGen holds the test force for an adjustable dwell time of 0 to 60 seconds, entered in the dwell time field on the touchscreen before the test.

Once the main force is applied, the screen counts the dwell down. The machine then unloads automatically and a buzzer signals that the indentation is ready to measure.

The right dwell depends on the material. For Brinell work, our manual recommends 10 to 15 seconds for ferrous metals, 30 to 35 seconds for non-ferrous metals, and 60 seconds when the hardness is below 35 HB.

Always run the dwell your standard or customer specification calls for, and record it with the result, since a different dwell can shift the hardness value.

The UniGen reads Rockwell hardness from 20 to 100 HR, on the regular Rockwell scales from HRA to HRV. That span covers the hard end of the steel scales such as HRC as well as the ball scales used on softer metals, such as HRB and its neighbours.

Rockwell testing on the UniGen carries automatic correction for the curvature radius of the part, so round bars and shafts can be tested without correcting the result by hand afterwards.

Like Brinell and Vickers, the Rockwell mode has its own main screen, scale list and calibration routine against a certified block, so the machine is verified for Rockwell on its own terms rather than through another method.

Vickers repeatability on the UniGen is ≤2.5, and the indication accuracy for Vickers is ±2.

In a Vickers test the hardness comes from the two diagonals of the indentation, so repeatability depends as much on how the diagonals are read as on how the load is applied. On the UniGen the reading is taken by the CCD camera and the automatic measuring software rather than by eye, which reduces the operator's influence on the result.

Verification follows ASTM E92 and ISO 6507. The Vickers mode has its own calibration routine against a certified block, and checking the machine on the block for the scale you use before a series is good practice.

The UniGen measures Brinell hardness from 8 to 650 HBW.

The upper end is set by the method, not just the machine. Brinell testing with a tungsten carbide ball, the HBW designation, is limited to 650 HBW in both ISO 6506 and ASTM E10, because above that the ball itself starts to deform and the impression no longer represents the material. Harder materials are tested by Vickers, which the UniGen also runs.

The lower end reaches soft non-ferrous alloys, which are tested at the low force-diameter ratios, down to a ratio of 1 on scales such as HBW2.5/6.25. That way one machine covers steels, cast irons and light alloys without a change of method.

The UniGen measures Vickers hardness from 8 to 2900 HV.

Where a given test falls in that range depends on the force and the material. A soft alloy under a high force leaves a large indentation, while hardened steel under a lighter force leaves a small one, so choose a force that gives diagonals you can measure accurately.

Good results start with the specimen. The surface must be clean and free of grease, which blurs the edges of the indentation, and the part must sit still on the anvil with the indenter square to it. The specimen should be at least ten times thicker than the indentation is deep, and both diagonals are measured at right angles to each other.

Our article on the Vickers hardness test covers the HV formula and load selection in more detail.

The minimum measuring unit of the UniGen is 0.1 µm.

It applies to the optical methods. In Brinell and Vickers testing the hardness is calculated from the size of the indentation, the diameter of a Brinell impression or the diagonals of a Vickers one, and 0.1 µm is the smallest step in which the measuring system resolves that size. Rockwell does not use it, since Rockwell hardness is read from depth.

The finer the step relative to the indentation, the less rounding contributes to the result. At the UniGen's macro Vickers loads, the indentations are large enough for 0.1 µm to be a small fraction of each diagonal.

For micro loads, where the diagonals are far shorter, our NG-1000 micro Vickers tester reads to a minimum measuring unit of 0.01 µm.

Yes, ASTM E92 is one of the standards the UniGen implements for Vickers testing.

ASTM E92 covers Vickers and Knoop hardness of metallic materials, with Vickers forces from 1 gf up to 120 kgf and Knoop forces from 1 gf up to 2 kgf. It sets requirements for the testing machine and includes annexes on verifying machines, indenters and hardness test blocks.

The UniGen works in the macro part of that span, which suits heat treated parts, welds and other metal work where a Vickers number is specified at the higher forces.

For Knoop and light-load work, where ASTM E92 points users to ASTM E384 for forces at or below 1 kgf, our NG-1000 micro Vickers and Knoop tester is built for that range.