The application of hardness testing enables you to evaluate a material’s properties, such as

strength, ductility and wear resistance, and so helps you determine whether a material or material
treatment is suitable for the purpose you require.

The definition of hardness testing is ‘a test to determine the resistance a material exhibits to
permanent deformation by penetration of another harder material.’ However, hardness is not a
fundamental property of a material. Therefore, when drawing conclusions of a hardness test, you
should always evaluate the quantitative value in relation to:
• The given load on the indenter
• A specific loading time profile and a specific load duration
• A specific indenter geometry