Indentation

The CSM Indentation testers are high precision instruments used for the characterization of mechanical properties of thin films, coatings and substrates. Properties such as hardness and elastic modulus can be determined on almost any type of material: soft, hard, brittle or ductile.

The operating principle is as follows:
An indenter tip, normal to the sample surface, is driven into the sample by applying an increasing load up to a predefined value. The load is then decreased until partial or complete relaxation of the material. The resultant load-depth curve is then used to calculate mechanical properties such as hardness and elastic modulus.