Hardness testing instruments operate at peak performance when professionally installed in your workshop or laboratory. While most of the INNOVATEST machines are prepared to a degree of ‘’plug and play’’ level, they should be verified against calibration standards after each transportation. This is regardless of whether this movement is internal or external transportation.
If the testers are transported by road, rail or air from one to the another location, they need to be packed in their original (mostly) wooden crate and secured to the bottom of the crate. Air transportation can be expensive and therefore INNOVATEST delivers a lightweight crate that can be totally disassembled and stored for later use.
INNOVATEST has factory trained service teams located around the world to assist in the proper installation of your hardness tester. Our world wide distributors are trained to be experts in installing and providing operational training making sure your team has the most productive and knowledgeable experience with our products. Let us know how we can help you!
Our experienced service team can advise you on how to move your tester or better, take care of the detailed planning, transport preparation, reinstalling, calibration and certification of your tester. Don’t hesitate to ask for our free advice. Nearly world-wide, we are local to you!
Is this your first time buying a hardness tester from INNOVATEST? Watch this video tutorial to learn how to unpack and install your hardness tester.
Hardness testers can be calibrated using special tools and software. Calibration can only be performed by trained personnel.
To get started, contact the INNOVATEST support team or call Phone: +31 43 352 00 60.
Calibrating a hardness tester ensures accurate, reliable, and repeatable test results. Over time, mechanical wear, environmental conditions, or usage can affect the tester’s performance. Regular calibration verifies that the instrument meets international standards like ISO and ASTM, which helps maintain product quality, comply with industry regulations, and pass audits.
Whether you use Rockwell, Brinell, Vickers, or Knoop methods, proper hardness tester calibration minimises measurement errors and ensures traceability to certified reference blocks.
ISO 6508 specifies calibration and verification procedures for Rockwell hardness testing machines and applies to all Rockwell and superficial Rockwell scales. The standard requires both direct and indirect verification.
Direct verification checks the accuracy of forces, indenter geometry, and depth-measuring systems using traceable instruments. Indirect verification uses certified Rockwell reference blocks to confirm accuracy in practical testing conditions.
Calibration should be performed by an accredited laboratory or qualified technician using traceable equipment at specified intervals or after maintenance, relocation, or suspected performance issues. ISO 6508 ensures consistency across Rockwell hardness measurements and is essential for testing laboratories operating under ISO 17025 or similar quality systems.
As of 2025, ASTM maintains several updated standards for hardness tester calibration:
These standards define procedures for verifying force accuracy, indenter shape, measurement systems, and testing performance through certified reference blocks. Each method requires both direct and indirect verification, performed at routine intervals or when the tester is serviced or moved. Compliance with ASTM calibration standards is vital for ensuring measurement integrity and audit readiness across manufacturing, research, and quality control environments.