The ability to measure indentation hardness and elastic modulus in accordance with DIN EN ISO 14577-1 and ASTM E 2546, both on the micro- and nano-scale, is crucial for quality control and plays a significant role in our R&D efforts.

Industrial Hard Carbon is equipped with various imaging devices with capabilities including but not limited to white light interferometry (WLI), spinning disk confocal microscopy (SDCM), bright field 3D microscopy, and optical microscopy with magnifications up to 400x. These devices play a crucial role in surface analysis, application development, and failure analysis. Moreover, our 3D optical profilometer provides non-contact surface measurements from the nano- to micro-scale.

Additional information on surface analysis

Besides hardness and thickness, adhesion represents the most critical coating characteristic – poor coating adhesion can prompt premature wear or catastrophic failure. We employ methods such as the Rockwell Indentation and Scratch Adhesion to ensure that every coating batch possesses optimum adhesion as part of our quality control system.

Every product processed at Industrial Hard Carbon undergoes stringent inspection procedures. The incoming inspection process begins immediately after the products are unpacked – products are checked for surface defects such as dents, scratches, impurities, and machining marks. Once processing is complete, each product undergoes inspection to ensure that the coating specifications (e.g., thickness, uniformity, adhesion) are met before shipment release.

Tribological Analysis

With our in-house universal tribometer, we can obtain valuable data by designing experiments replicating the application environment as closely as possible. We can characterize friction, wear, adhesion, fatigue, and mechanical surface properties. These data are instrumental in developing tailored solutions for the most demanding applications.