ALTANA Buchholz Indentation Tester Operating Instructions: 2.0 Test Procedure

2.0 Test Procedure

The indentation hardness test

• Increase the indentation tester

shall be carried out at an ambient

from the specimen in the opposite

temperature of +23 °C ± 2 °C and

sequence, i.e. indentor rst,

relative humidity of ( 50 ± 5) %.

feet last.

Different paint systems need different

drying time, allow enough time to dry,

at leat 16 hours, then check as quick

as possible.

• Put the test panel on a rm,

horizontal surface. Place the

indentation tester carefully and

without any tilting or lateral

1 Position of Indentation

movement onto the paint lm.

2 Position of the feet

Set down rst the feet and then

the indentor for ( 30 ± 1) s.

• The location of the indentation

mark is much easier when the

position of the feet is marked

before the test is started

without touching the tester (see

gure 2).

• Place the template, included in

the shipment, on the marked

points so that the cross marks

on the template exactly cover

the markings on the test panel,

with the vertex of the triangle

directed towards the indentation

(see gure 3).

• The indentation length is

measured by means of the

measuring microscope

(see gure 4).

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

• Place the measuring microscope

• Align the scale zero with the

• Repeat the measurement on

in vertical position over the

beginning of the indentation and

several parts of the test panel. The

illuminated area in such a way

determine the indentation length

indentation length is the resulting

that the shadow produced by

in accordance with the details of

mean value of all measurements.

the indentation and the graduated

gure 5.

The results in mm are +/- 0,1 mm

scale are put in parallel position

exact.

(see gure 5).

• The resulting indentation resistance

is determined by comparing the

indentation length with the data

of table 1, e.g. an indentation

length of 0.9 mm corresponds to

an indentation resistance of 111,5.

Fig. 5

1 Light Source

2 Microscope

3 Indentation Point

4 Paint Film

5 Test Panel

6 Shadow

Fig. 6