This application note describes how to verify the hardness of heavy and bulky forging dies using portable hardness testers.

The Challenge

With conventional methods, testing and verifying the hardness of forging dies weighing 400 lbs or more is a very cumbersome and heavy task. Each die requires lifting, transportation by a fork truck and extensive manual labor upon a measurement on a benchtop device.

The advantages of portable hardness testing

The entire procedure can be sped-up with the application of the portable hardness testing method. The Equotip 550 Portable Rockwell hardness tester meets all requirements to perform such testing - it replaces the awkward process of lifting each die using a fork truck, and enables testing to be carried out directly on the part.

The Result

The Equotip 550 Portable Rockwell requires no change in the current surface preparation method; however, the major benefit is the saving of much time and the resolution of any potential safety issues that may otherwise arise through manual heavy load handling.

The Equotip’s versatility allows a quick change of testing methods, thus ensuring an even faster test on other components that do not share the same test method requirements. Due to direct indentation, there is no need to apply specific material corrections, since the test results can be directly analysed and compared to other test pieces.

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