Development of macro-depth-sensing-indentation instrumentation

Using an Instron 5848 Microtester assembled with an additional displacementsensor and specially designed jigs as the main loading setup,DSI(depth-sensing indentation) tests were performed on typical metallicmaterials at macro range. From the indentation data, the hardness andmodulus of the materials were directly extrapolated without frame compliancecalibration employing an analysis procedure proposed by Oliver and Pharr. Inthis analysis the contact area was calculated for indentation depths \ge6\mu m from the area function of an ideal indenter tip and for depths <6\mu m from the area function suggested by Liu and Zhang. A comparisonbetween the our results and those from the MTS NanoIndenter XP showed that the repeatability isideal, and the scatter of both hardness and modulus values is within 10%.So, it is feasible to develop the DSI capacity of traditional materialtesting machines.