Cuts Like a Knife-Hardness Testing Matters

In the highly competitive cutting blades indus­try, it is vital for the blade to have sufficient hardness to retain an edge, while too hard can cause brittle failure. When hardened materials are ground, residual heat may alter the microstructure and soften the blade edge. Testing the hardness of the cutting blades becomes challenging as indents must be made and measured accurately, using low loads and correspondingly small indents. This requires proper specimen preparation and careful use of hard­ness testing equipment. Read the SumNotes “Cutting Edge Hardness Testing” for metallographic preparation and the MicroHardness testing of blades via the automatic hardness software.

Download: Cutting Edge Hardness Testing