Portable Metal Hardness Tester: Types, Principles , and Applications

Hardness testing is vital for material quality control in multiple industries. From manufacturing and construction to metallurgy, evaluating hardness helps ensure materials meet durability and performance standards. Among the many hardness testing methods, Leeb hardness testers and Webster hardness testers stand out for their efficiency and portability. Leeb hardness testers utilize the rebound principle, making them ideal for large metal components, while Webster hardness testers offer quick and precise hardness measurements for thin-walled materials such as aluminum alloys. This article explores the working principles, measurement methods, and key applications of these two widely used handheld hardness testing devices, helping you understand their advantages and suitability for different testing scenarios.

What is the meaning of hardness?

Hardness is a feature of a given object, not a basic physical property, which defines materials resistance to deformation, scratching, or indentation.

There are different types of hardness measurements, including:

Rebound Hardness – Evaluates a material’s elasticity by measuring the height of a bouncing impact body, the principle used in Leeb hardness testers.

Indentation Hardness – Determines the resistance of a material to permanent deformation under a specific force, used in Webster, Rockwell, Brinell, Vickers, and Knoop hardness tests.

Scratch Hardness – Measures a material’s resistance to being scratched by another substance, commonly assessed using the Mohs hardness scale.

In industrial applications, hardness testing is crucial for quality control, material selection, and performance assessment. Different hardness testers, such as Leeb and Webster hardness testers, provide efficient and portable solutions for on-site metal hardness evaluation, ensuring compliance with industry standards.

Portable Leeb Hardness Tester

1.  How to measure hardness by Leeb hardness Tester?

In the Leeb hardness testing method, the hardness value can be calculated from the energy loss of an impact body after impacting upon a metal. This Leeb quotient is equivalent to the measure of that energy loss due to deformation. The impact body rebounds faster from harder samples than the softer ones, resulting in a larger value 1000* vr / vi which is quoted as the Leeb rebound hardness unit HL.

When an impact device accelerates an impact body with the help of spring force, the velocity of the impact body gets segregated into three phases:

Approach phase

Here, the impact body is accelerated in the direction of the test surface with the help of the spring force.

Impact phase

In this phase, the impact body as well as the specimen remain in direct contact. The specimen gets plastically or elastically deformed and the impact body comes to the standstill. This elastic spring-back nature of the impact body, as well as the specimen, helps the impact body to rebound.

Rebound phase

Here, the impact body is again accelerated out of the impact phase with the resultant energy.

A: approach phase peak value; B: rebound phase peak value; t: time; U: stress

2.  What is the application of Leeb Hardness Tester?

There are various applications of Leeb hardness testers:

● Measure the die cavity of molds, bearings, heavy work pieces, as well as other parts.

● Analyzed the installed machineries as well as the permanently assembled parts.

● Identify the material in the warehouse of metallic samples.

● Detecting the surface of a small hollow space.

● A quick inspection in large range as well as multiple measuring areas for large scale workpiece.

● Inspect the hardness of both ferrous as well as nonferrous materials. Though the measurement results are considered in the Leeb scale (HL), the units can be converted to Rockwell (HRA/HRB/HRC), Vickers (HV), Brinell (HB), and Shore (HS) according to the instrument. The reason is they have a wider measuring range.

3.  What are the advantages of Linshang Leeb Hardness Tester?

Unlike the bench testers, portable hardness testers are smaller in size with lightweight. These testers are compact in nature, which determines the hardness using various hardness scales. Moreover, the modern portable hardness testers can detect the hardness by employing all hardness scales. Its major advantages include user convenience as well as portability. There is no need to carry samples into the testing units or workshops. Linshang Portable Leeb Hardness Tester uses cutting-edge digital technology that the digital signal processing is completed directly on the probe. And it can automatically detect the type of impact devices by testing at any angle, even in upside down position.

Handheld Webster Hardness Tester

A portable Webster hardness tester (also called Webster durometer) is a compact, handheld device designed to measure the hardness of aluminum alloy and other mild metals efficiently. Unlike stationary hardness testers, portable models allow on-site testing without requiring the sample to be cut or transported to a laboratory.

1.  Webster hardness tester working principle

The principle of Webster hardness tester is that a hard steel indenter of a certain shape is pressed into the surface of the sample under the action of the standard spring test force. The indentation depth of the indenter is used to determine the hardness of the material. The indentation depth of 0.01mm is defined as one Webster hardness unit. The Webster hardness unit is expressed as HW.

2.  Webster hardness tester applications

The Webster hardness tester is widely used for on-site hardness testing of metals, particularly in industries requiring quick and reliable hardness measurements of thin materials. Its portable, easy-to-use, and non-destructive testing features make it ideal for various applications, including:

● Distinguish between materials before and after heat treatment, which is convenient for checking the most suitable heat treatment conditions.

● Determine whether the material is made of inappropriate alloy processing and whether the alloy composition of the material is qualified.

● Determine whether the aluminum product is aged, or whether the hardness is within the specification range, and can distinguish different types of aluminum materials and different aging states.

● Measure long, heavy workpieces or assemblies that are inconvenient to send to the laboratory.

● Used for aluminum profile production inspection, acceptance inspection and quality supervision inspection.

3.  Why choose Linshang digital Webster hardness tester?

3.1 Construction of Linshang digital Webster hardness tester

The Linshang digital Webster hardness tester utilizes advanced eddy current induction technology, featuring a built-in eddy current sensor and data storage chip. Equipped with a high-definition OLED dot matrix screen, it delivers precise Webster hardness measurements for metal materials such as aluminum alloy, mild steel, and brass. With exceptional testing accuracy and repeatability, it meets the stringent inspection standards of the National Authoritative Metrology Institute.

3.2 Advantages of Linshang handheld digital Webster hardness tester

Compared with the traditional dial-type Webster hardness tester on the market, Linshang's latest LS255 digital display Webster hardness tester has many obvious advantages, including:

● Digital display design

Linshang LS255 Webster hardness tester is equipped with an OLED digital screen, which is simple and convenient to read. Avoid errors caused by observing the dial with the naked eye.

● Automatic data locking

The portable metal hardness tester has an automatic data locking function, and you can easily read the value without pressing the handle all the time, avoiding the inability to read the value due to the display device being blocked.

● Non-disassembly reference adjustment and hardness calibration technology

LS255 Webster hardness tester has a non-disassembly reference adjustment function, and the adjustment can be completed by directly pressing the handle; users can also eliminate test errors by calibrating the standard block, which is simpler and faster than the traditional Webster hardness tester calibration.

● Free switching of multiple hardness scales

The durometer has six built-in hardness scales, which can be freely switched between HWA, HRE, HRF, HRB, HV and HB, no more tedious manual check table.

● Can store 9 sets of data

Linshang digital Webster hardness tester has a built-in storage chip , can store 9 results, meeting the user's needs for multiple measurements of the object being measured.

● Equipped with mobile APP to realize data export and sharing

The Webster durometer is also equipped with a mobile phone APP, which can be tested online, supports massive storage, and exports and shares test results.

3.3 Price of Linshang digital Webster hardness tester

Linshang Technology has specialized in instrumentation for 17 years, dedicated to providing cost-effective solutions to customers worldwide. Our advanced digital Webster hardness tester is offered at a competitive factory-direct price and includes a standard hardness block for calibration. If you have any questions or require a special quotation, please don’t hesitate to contact our team—we are always ready to assist you with the utmost dedication!

How to Choose a Right Hardness Testing Equipment

1.  Impact device selection of Leeb hardness tester

2.  Consider the Material and Application

For large or heavy metal parts → Use a Leeb hardness tester for fast, non-destructive testing.

For thin-walled materials (e.g., aluminum tubes, metal sheets) → A Webster hardness tester provides quick and easy on-site testing.