ISO 14577-3:2015

Overview

ISO 14577-3:2015 - "Metallic materials - Instrumented indentation test for hardness and materials parameters - Part 3: Calibration of reference blocks" specifies a method to calibrate reference blocks used for the indirect verification of instrumented indentation testing machines (per ISO 14577-2:2015). It defines manufacturing, calibration equipment, test cycle, and uncertainty requirements across the macro, micro and nano indentation ranges.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Purpose: Calibration of reference blocks for instrumented indentation tests (hardness, indentation modulus, elasto‑plastic parameters).
• Reference and traceability: Instruments and force-proving devices used for calibration shall be traceable to national standards (see ISO 376).
• Reference block manufacture:
  • Minimum thickness: nano ≥ 2 mm, micro ≥ 5 mm, macro ≥ 16 mm (exceptions allowed by manufacturing process).
  • Demagnetization recommended for steel blocks; blocks must be homogeneous, stable and mountable within tilt limits in ISO 14577‑1.
  • Surface roughness requirements: macro test surface Ra ≤ 50 nm, micro Ra ≤ 10 nm (support face Ra ≤ 0.8 µm). Nano range Ra ≤ 10 nm (recommended