Mitutoyo Corporation

Akashi Corporation

Fumihiko Koshimizu

Sadayuki Matsumiya

Shigeru Ohtani

Yoshiro Asano

Yu Sugai

Masaru Kawazoe

Masaharu Tsujii

Fumihiro Takemura

Takeshi Sawa

Eiji Furuta

Koji Shinza

Ryouji Nakamura

Satoko Nomaguchi

Ryotaro Fukuchi

Akira Takada

Makoto Kaieda

Yu Kawakubo

A hardness tester includes an image acquirer (controller) acquiring an image of a surface (surface image) of a sample captured by an image capturer, an identifier (controller) identifying, based on the surface image of the sample, a non-conformity region inside the image that is unsuitable for the hardness test using predetermined conditions, and a test position definer (controller) defining a test position in an area outside the non-conformity region identified by the identifier.

Hardness tester and program

A hardness tester includes an image acquirer acquiring an image of a surface of a sample captured by an image capturer, a test area definer defining a test area where the hardness test is performed with respect to the image of the surface of the sample displayed by a display which displays the acquired image of the surface, a test setting acquirer acquiring estimated hardness of the sample and test force when the hardness test is performed, an estimator estimating a size of the indentation to be formed on the surface of the sample based on the acquired test force and the estimated hardness, and a display controller displaying an image picture of the indentation to be formed, based on the estimated size of the indentation superimposed on the image of the surface of the sample displayed by the display.

Display device for hardness tester

Hardness tester

A hardness tester forms an indentation on a surface of a sample by loading a predetermined test force with an indenter and measures a hardness of the sample using the indentation. The hardness tester includes a light source emitting light on the surface of the sample and forming an illumination pattern having a spot; and a controller forming the indentation by bringing the indenter into contact with the sample in a state where a perpendicular line of a vertex of the indenter overlaps a test point when the position of the spot of the illumination pattern formed by the light source on the surface of the sample is used as the test point.

A hardness tester includes a memory storing, as a parts program, definitions of measurement conditions including a coordinate system and test position defined with respect to an image of a standard reference sample; a pattern searcher performing a pattern searching process, with reference to a plurality of samples to be measured, using a pattern image based on the image of the standard reference sample, and detecting a number of samples having a shape identical to that of the standard reference sample, as well as a position and angle of the samples having the identical shape; a pattern definer defining a coordinate system and test position for each of the samples having the identical shape based on the position and angle of each of the samples having the identical shape; and a measurer measuring the hardness of the samples for which the coordinate system and test position have been defined.

Hardness test apparatus and hardness testing method

The hardness tester includes a plurality of weights; a transmission mechanism transmitting to an indenter a force of gravity acting on the weights; and a test force switching mechanism switching between magnitudes of a test force. The weights include hollow portions running through the weights in a vertical direction; and accommodation portions formed so as to be capable of accommodating the weight directly below. Outside tapered portions are provided to an exterior surface of the weights and inside tapered portions are provided to an interior surface of the accommodation portions. The transmission mechanism includes a shaft member and a weight engagement portion capable of being accommodated by the bottom-most accommodation portion to engage a weight. The weight engagement portion includes a tapered portion engaging the weight to regulate horizontal-direction displacement. A predetermined gap is reserved between the hollow portions and the shaft member.

A hardness tester enabling a user to form an indentation in a desired test position, capable of performing an accurate hardness test even when center positions of an indenter and a field lens are offset. The hardness tester includes an XY stage displacing a sample stage in a horizontal direction; a CCD camera capturing images of a sample surface via a field lens; a monitor displaying the images; a turret capable of selectively positioning the indenter or the field lens in a predetermined position opposite the sample; a memory storing an amount of horizontal direction offset between the center positions of the indenter and the field lens when positioned in the predetermined position; and a CPU displaying, based on the amount of offset stored in the memory, a mark indicating the center position of the indenter on the monitor when the field lens is positioned in the predetermined position.

Hardness tester having offset correction feature

A hardness tester capable of facilitating positioning of a sample even when the hardness tester includes a manual XY stage. The hardness tester includes an XY stage displacing a sample stage in a horizontal direction; a CCD camera capturing an image of a sample surface via an objective lens; a monitor displaying the image of the sample surface captured by the CCD camera; an operator specifying a test position at which an indentation is to be formed, the test position being specified on the image displayed on the display; and a CPU calculating, in conjunction with displacement of the XY stage, an amount of offset in the XY direction between the test position and a center position of the indenter when forming the indentation, then displaying the calculated amount of offset on the display.

A hardness tester having an image capturer capturing an indentation image, a data memory, an automatic size-scanning program scanning an indentation size, and a hardness calculation program includes: an identification information providing program providing image data with test specimen identification information and indentation identification information; a memory control program having the image data associated with the identification information stored; a specifying program specifying, when a scanning error occurs, identification information of image data in which the scanning error has occurred; an obtaining program obtaining the image data from the data memory based on the specified identification information; and a re-scanner (a display, an operator, and a manual size-calculation program) re-scanning an indentation size from the obtained image data.

A hardness testing apparatus has an indenter shaft having an indenter at a top thereof, a force motor for moving the indenter shaft in its axial direction and applying a predetermined test force to a sample through the indenter, an external force detection section for detecting an external force applied from outside of the hardness testing apparatus to the indenter shaft when the indenter shaft is moved by the force motor, and an external force adjustment and control section for controlling the force motor to apply the predetermined test force to the sample while deadening the external force detected by the external force detection section.

Growing community of inventors

Zama, Japan

Fumihiko Koshimizu