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Measuring The Hardness Of Lenses

High Resolution Lenses for machine vision, instrumentation, inspection and vibration-sensitive applications. Standard and custom hi-res lens assemblies.

There are many ways in which the hardness and material properties can be measured to provide data to researchers. Hardness is traditionally defined as the “resistance of a material to permanent penetration by another harder material.” The instruments used to test hardness monitor both the initial resistance as well as any deformation of the material.

Measuring hardness and depth as well as indentation depth provide researchers a way to extract material properties of various items including lenses, metals and others.

Traditional hardness test methods were unable to optically determine down to the micronewton level. Many tests also are required to penetrate materials further than the traditional 1/10 of the layer thickness to accurately determine its hardness.

What are some of the industrial applications of measuring a materials’ hardness? Here are some:

  • To measure the microhardness of pain, metal and soft glass coatings. Automotive industries need to measure paint coatings and understand the degree to which polymerization changes could impact the brittleness of the paint or how temperature fluctuations will impact the way the paint performs.
  • Engineered rubber are impacted and become brittle through age and chemical and heat exposure. Measuring the microhardness of these materials will help developers increase the rubbers’ depth resistances.
  • Eyeglasses and their lenses are used as both visual aids and in industrial settings to provide safety to the eye. As it relates to the lenses of protective eyeglasses, they must perform at specific levels of hardness to protect against the impact of materials against them. Eyeglass lens manufacturers test the hardness and mechanical properties and measure the systems with high precision of scratch resistant and anti-reflective surface coatings.

Universe Optics manufacturers and designs optical lenses for industrial, medical, high tech and electronic applications.