The laboratory realizes and disseminates national hardness scales using standard hardness machines: all Rockwell, Brinell, Vickers (from HV 0.02 to HV 100) and Knoop (from HK 0.02 to HK 2) scales. The laboratory is provided  of primary instruments for measuring the geometry of diamond indenters (Rockwell, Vickers and Knoop).

The laboratory's activity focuses on three specific areas:

• Research activity to study the influencing factors in hardness measurements, necessary for the development of international standards and for a correct evaluation of uncertainty;
• Development of new standards and primary instrumentation, such as the primary hardness and micro-hardness reference machines with direct-weight and the automatic measurement system for diamond indenters;
• Dissemination of scales through the calibration of primary hardness reference blocks, used by accredited laboratories for the calibration of their own calibration machines and for industrial hardness testers.

The development of primary-level instrumentation has allowed us to acquire the know-how and file the patents necessary for technology transfer to companies for the marketing of their samples, which are then duplicated in numerous other Primary Metrology Institutes worldwide.

Alessandro Germak

Andrea Prato

Claudio Origlia