KEVOS® MAKEOS · Materials
Brinell Hardness from Indentation
What Brinell hardness does this indentation give, and is the test valid?
Brinell hardness number from test force, ball diameter and mean indentation diameter, with validity checks and an approximate tensile strength for steels.
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How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Test force | kgf | Test force in kilograms-force (3000 kgf with a 10 mm ball for steels; 1 kgf = 9.80665 N). |
| Ball diameter | mm | Diameter of the carbide ball. |
| Mean indentation diameter | mm | Mean of two perpendicular indentation diameters measured with the microscope. |
Method and formulas
- HBW = 2F ÷ (πD(D − √(D² − d²))), F in kgf (equivalently 0.102 × 2F_N ÷ …).
- Valid indentation: 0.24D ≤ d ≤ 0.6D (ISO 6506-1).
- Approximate tensile strength of carbon and low-alloy steels ≈ 3.45 × HBW (MPa).
- Example: 3000 kgf on a 10 mm ball leaving a 4 mm indent is 228.77 HBW.
Limitations
- The tensile strength estimate is approximate and applies to steels only; use measured tensile tests for acceptance.
- Specimen thickness must be at least about 8 × the indentation depth.
- Example values are illustrations. Replace them with values for your actual task.
Typical uses
- Calculate HBW from a measured indentation
- Check test validity (indent size, force ratio)
- Estimate steel tensile strength
Who it is for
- Quality inspectors
- Metallurgists
- Materials engineers
What you get
- Brinell hardness HBW
- Force–diameter ratio
- Indentation ratio d/D
- Approximate tensile strength (steels)
Interpreting the result
- Report as HBW with the ball and force, e.g. 229 HBW 10/3000.
References
- Machinery’s Handbook, 29th edition (Industrial Press, 2012), printed pp. 1406–1412. Topic reference; no source tables or recommended settings are reproduced.
- ISO 6506-1 Metallic materials — Brinell hardness test — Part 1: Test method
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