Indenter Shrouds

		Indenter Shrouds

Indenter shrouds are an integral part of the “test-surface referencing” feature found on the Versitron testers. These must always be used when testing. The shroud surrounds the indenter. Its purpose is to sense the position of the indenter relative to the test surface when the preload has been applied. Should the specimen deflect under major load, the shroud travels with the test surface to compensate by maintainin that precise reference position with the test surface. Common test conditions, such as vibtration, dirty environments, test samples with oily residues, and thin test pieces are prone to erroneous hardness readings due to deflection during the load. Test surface referencing can mitigate these conditions. The standard shroud has a cut-away on one side to provide visibility of the indenter contact point, and apply a 3/8” contact area on the specimen. Enclosed indenter shrouds are used in automatic or manual testing where the standard shroud may prove inadequate. Double tapered shrouds are used in applications requiring a narrow contact area with the work piece (0.085” minimum) or applications that require complete visibility of the indenter contact point. Double tapered shrouds are generally not used with a clamping shield.