Portable Hardness Testing — Weld Zones, Heat Treatment & Production QC

Leeb (rebound) hardness uses a spring-loaded impact device and measures the energy ratio of the rebound — ideal for large, heavy components that cannot be moved to a lab. Brinell uses a tungsten carbide ball pressed into the surface under a defined load and measures the indentation diameter under a microscope. Leeb readings are converted to HB using conversion tables (ASTM A956). When high precision is required or conversion uncertainty matters, Brinell is preferred for castings and forgings in a lab setting.

For Leeb portable testing, the surface must be flat, clean and free of rust, scale, paint and oil. A finish equivalent to 180–220 grit grinding is usually sufficient. For Vickers and Brinell methods, a finer finish (400–600 grit) is required. We carry portable grinders and surface prep tools and can prepare the surface as part of the service at no extra cost for standard jobs.

Not directly — coatings must be removed in the test area before testing, as paint, galvanising or other coatings will absorb indentation energy and give inaccurate results. We remove coatings in a small test spot (typically 20–30 mm diameter), perform the test, and the surface is then restored by the client's own team or re-coated if specified.

A minimum of five readings are taken at each test location per ASTM and ISO protocols. The highest and lowest values are reviewed for outliers. The mean of the accepted readings is reported. For weld HAZ traverses, a full grid of readings may be specified — typically three lines of indentations across the weld cross-section at defined spacing.

Yes. We provide Vickers hardness traverses across weld, HAZ and parent metal as required by ASME IX, EN ISO 15614-1 and AWS D1.1 for welding procedure qualification records (WPQRs). The test report includes a hardness traverse map, individual readings, scale used and the pass/fail result against the specified acceptance criterion (typically 350 HV max for carbon steel welds).

For clients in Pune and the surrounding region, we typically mobilise within 4–8 hours of a confirmed booking. For planned shutdowns, we recommend at least 48 hours notice to schedule the correct technician and equipment. Emergency after-hours mobilisation is available subject to availability — call us directly on +91 87966 34037.