Today more than ever, “prevention” is a key topic. Therefore, we invite you to devote five minutes to discover how to properly maintain your hardness tester.

Here are some expedients to be followed to long preserve your hardness tester; these simple operations can be autonomously carried out by the operator: if performed correctly and regularly, they help to “keep the instrument fit” and increase its performances in both the short and long run.

 
 
 
Before starting, we would like to clarify that most of our instruments can operate in severe conditions, like production departments in foundries or forging plants: at Axiotek, we invest considerable resource to create increasingly robust and resistant machines. The following list reports mere recommendations: following them means contributing to the "well-being" of your hardness tester.
 
 

 

Working environment

 

  • If possible, place the instrument in a safe environment – with no vibrations or changes in temperature

 

  • Reduce dust and dirtiness, at least in the area which surrounds the hardness tester

 

  • Near the instrument, avoid the use of grinders for sample preparation

 

  • Make sure to work within +10°C to +35°C temperature range as prescribed by related standards (es: ISO 6508-1 [7.1]). We’ve tested one of our Shore even at -15°C: it worked properly, but we discourage you to imitate our experiment! (Are you curious? CLICK HERE to watch a short video about our “extreme test”)
 
 
 

Cleaning

 

  • Clean all work surfaces and anvils daily, making sure to remove dirtiness and oxide. Use a cloth with cleanser or degreasing agents; to remove oxide, use an abrasive stone. Cleaning accurately these components means improving the quality of hardness values detected.

 

  • At least every two months, clean ventilation filters with compressed air (if applicable)

 

  • Clean the hardness test blocks after every use: CLICK HERE to read our guidelines about the proper maintenance of hardness test blocks
 
 
 
 
 
 

When storing the machine for a period on inactivity:

 

  • Protect metal components with rust-proof lubricant oil

 

  • Store the hardness tester indoors, in an area with low humidity and dust levels, protected from weather conditions

 

  • Cover the instrument with waterproof tarpaulin

 

  • Make sure to place hygroscopic salts inside the tarpaulin

 

  • Remove any hardness test block support
 
 
 
To properly maintain your hardness tester in the long term, operations that require specific technical skills are necessary: that is why we suggest regularly planning a calibration and ordinary maintenance inspection, in which an Axiotek technician will be able to deeply take care of your priceless instrument.
 
CLICK HERE TO REQUEST A CALIBRATION INSPECTION ON YOUR HARDNESS TESTER