Abstract: A controller of a hardness tester can determine, in a condition where a driver is not in operation and when a spring displacement detector and an arm displacement detector detect an amount of displacement of respective objects (plate spring and loading arm), that a loading arm and a plate spring are deformed according to changes in environmental temperature. A favorable hardness test can be performed by the hardness tester corresponding to the environmental temperature according to the determination by carrying out an initialization process that resets the displacement amount of respective object to zero, the displacement amount detected by the spring displacement detector and the arm displacement detector respectively.

Abstract: A test force generating spring that is interposed between an indenter shaft provided with an indenter at a distal end and a press that linearly displaces the indenter shaft toward a sample stage so as to press the indenter into a surface of a sample is configured as an annular spring having left/right symmetry, the annular spring including a left/right pair of through-holes that are formed running from one side surface of a substantially rectangular metal block to another side surface on a rear side of the block and a slit that is formed so as to connect the pair of through-holes. With this configuration, a highly accurate test force can be generated and a hardness test can be favorably performed by a hardness tester.

Abstract: A restitution coefficient measuring device measuring a restitution coefficient of a measuring object includes a holder that holds a spherical impact ball colliding with the measuring object with an elastic member, a shooting mechanism for shooting the impact ball held by the holder from the holder toward the measuring object, a speed measuring unit that measures both a collision speed at which the impact ball collides with the measuring object and a restitution speed at which the impact ball bounces from the measuring object, and a computing unit that calculates the restitution coefficient on the basis of the restitution speed with respect to the collision speed. A hole for bleeding air is bored on any side surface of the holder. The elastic member is an independent member replaceable with respect to the holder and is disposed at an end portion of the holder in an axial direction.

Abstract: A controller of a hardness tester can determine, in a condition where a driver is not in operation and when a spring displacement detector and an arm displacement detector detect an amount of displacement of respective objects (plate spring and loading arm), that a loading arm and a plate spring are deformed according to changes in environmental temperature. A favorable hardness test can be performed by the hardness tester corresponding to the environmental temperature according to the determination by carrying out an initialization process that resets the displacement amount of respective object to zero, the displacement amount detected by the spring displacement detector and the arm displacement detector respectively.

Abstract: A test force generating spring that is interposed between an indenter shaft provided with an indenter at a distal end and a press that linearly displaces the indenter shaft toward a sample stage so as to press the indenter into a surface of a sample is configured as an annular spring having left/right symmetry, the annular spring including a left/right pair of through-holes that are formed running from one side surface of a substantially rectangular metal block to another side surface on a rear side of the block and a slit that is formed so as to connect the pair of through-holes. With this configuration, a highly accurate test force can be generated and a hardness test can be favorably performed by a hardness tester.

Abstract: A control unit shifts an imaging unit relatively with respect to a stage to take an image of a measuring object at a plurality of places by the imaging unit and thereby obtain a plurality of images, and generates a composite image of the measuring object having a range which is wider than an imaging range of the imaging unit by combining the plurality of images. The control unit shifts the imaging unit relatively with respect to the stage such that parts of images adjacent to one another obtained by the imaging unit overlap, and performs an image matching processing that performs image matching of an overlapped portion of the adjacent images. The control unit generates the composite image of the measuring object by joining the adjacent images at a position where the image matching is performed in the image matching processing.

Abstract: A control unit shifts an imaging unit relatively with respect to a stage to take an image of a measuring object at a plurality of places by the imaging unit and thereby obtain a plurality of images, and generates a composite image of the measuring object having a range which is wider than an imaging range of the imaging unit by combining the plurality of images. The control unit shifts the imaging unit relatively with respect to the stage such that parts of images adjacent to one another obtained by the imaging unit overlap, and performs an image matching processing that performs image matching of an overlapped portion of the adjacent images. The control unit generates the composite image of the measuring object by joining the adjacent images at a position where the image matching is performed in the image matching processing.

Abstract: A hardness tester that measures a size of an indent to determine the hardness of a sample. The hardness tester includes an imaging unit, a display unit, a pointing device and a position adjustment unit. The imaging unit takes an image of a surface of the sample. The display unit displays a surface image of the sample and a cursor. The pointing device receives a first instruction instructing a movement of the surface image of the sample appearing on the display unit through a movement of the cursor, and a second instruction instructing a change in a height of the sample stage through a movement of the cursor. The position adjustment unit moves the sample stage in a horizontal direction and in a vertical direction.

Abstract: A hardness tester and testing method including a focuser, an image capturer, a test position setter, a focus position memory, an indentation creator, an image capture controller, and a measurer. The focuser focuses on the surface of the specimen. The image capturer captures an image of the surface of the specimen. The test position setter sets a test position at which the indentation is formed. The focus position memory measures a focus position, then associates the focus position with a test position within a predetermined range and stores the information in a memory. The indentation creator forms the indentation at the test position with the indenter. The image capture controller displaces the specimen, then captures an image of the formed indentation through the first field lens. The measurer measures the hardness of the specimen based on the indentation whose image has been captured.

Abstract: The hardness tester includes a data obtainer obtaining sample shape data that can specify a shape of a sample; an image capture controller controlling a CCD camera to capture an image of the surface of the sample and obtaining image data of the sample; a matching performer associating the sample shape data obtained by the data obtainer with the image data of the sample obtained by the CCD camera; an indentation former forming an indentation with an indenter in a test position set on the sample shape data after the sample shape data and the image data of the sample have been associated by the matching performer; and a hardness value calculator calculating a hardness value of the sample based on the indentation captured with the CCD camera after the indentation has been formed by the indentation former.

Abstract: A control unit shifts an imaging unit relatively with respect to a stage to take an image of a measuring object at a plurality of places by the imaging unit and thereby obtain a plurality of images, and generates a composite image of the measuring object having a range which is wider than an imaging range of the imaging unit by combining the plurality of images. The control unit shifts the imaging unit relatively with respect to the stage such that parts of images adjacent to one another obtained by the imaging unit overlap, and performs an image matching processing that performs image matching of an overlapped portion of the adjacent images. The control unit generates the composite image of the measuring object by joining the adjacent images at a position where the image matching is performed in the image matching processing.

Abstract: A hardness tester that measures a size of an indent to determine the hardness of a sample. The hardness tester includes an imaging unit, a display unit, a pointing device and a position adjustment unit. The imaging unit takes an image of a surface of the sample. The display unit displays a surface image of the sample and a cursor. The pointing device receives a first instruction instructing a movement of the surface image of the sample appearing on the display unit through a movement of the cursor, and a second instruction instructing a change in a height of the sample stage through a movement of the cursor. The position adjustment unit moves the sample stage in a horizontal direction and in a vertical direction.

Abstract: A hardness tester and testing method including a focuser, an image capturer, a test position setter, a focus position memory, an indentation creator, an image capture controller, and a measurer. The focuser focuses on the surface of the specimen. The image capturer captures an image of the surface of the specimen. The test position setter sets a test position at which the indentation is formed. The focus position memory measures a focus position, then associates the focus position with a test position within a predetermined range and stores the information in a memory. The indentation creator forms the indentation at the test position with the indenter. The image capture controller displaces the specimen, then captures an image of the formed indentation through the first field lens. The measurer measures the hardness of the specimen based on the indentation whose image has been captured.

Abstract: Disclosed is a hardness testing instrument which measures a hardness of a specimen, the hardness testing instrument including: a load applying section with the indenter or a flat indenter mounted thereon; a driving section to move the load applying section; a specimen table on which an object to be pressed is placed; a specimen table height adjustment section to adjust a height position; an indentation depth amount storage section to measure the indentation depth amount when the indenter is pressed to a reference block and to store the amount; a deformation amount storage section to measure the deformation amount of a load measuring instrument when the flat indenter is pressed to the load measuring instrument and to store the amount; a height position obtaining section to obtain a height position of the specimen table; and a calibration section to calibrate the load.