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i3D® mBV indentation and hardness testing system

i3D® mBV

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Imprintec – Material Testing Solutions.

i3D® mBV

Yield strength RIp0,2, tensile strength RIm, and ductility from indents — i3D® plus integrated hardness testing

The system extends into automated high-throughput testing for mechanical properties and adds standardized hardness testing per Brinell, Vickers, Rockwell, and Knoop.

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i3D® mBV — side view with raised test head
i3D® mBV — side view
i3D® mBV — front view
i3D® mBV — front view


Fully automated test sequences via XY cross table and a Z-axis positionable test head.

i3D® mBV — test head in upper position
i3D® mBV — head up

Technical functions of i3D® mBV

Function Description
Indentation testing Determines RIp0,2 (yield strength) and RIm (tensile strength) on metallic materials per DIN SPEC 4864 — no tensile specimen required
Measurement time (standard) Approx. 72 seconds per point
Measurement time (high-speed) Optional high-speed configuration from approx. 20 seconds per point
XY cross table Automated raster positioning — ideal for multi-point measurements and component mapping
Overview camera Visual targeting and precise placement of indents for traceable, documented results
Hardness testing (Brinell, Vickers, Rockwell, Knoop) With test loads from 0.001 to 62.5 kgf and an automatic 6-position turret, standardized Vickers, Brinell, Knoop, and Rockwell tests are supported. Autofocus, automatic light control, and motorized XY tables deliver high precision and repeatability — even in series testing.
3D surface metrology (optional) White-light interferometry for optical height profiles and topography analysis

Key capabilities in detail

High-precision XY cross table for automated indentation mapping
XY cross table

High-precision motion control for automated measurement grids across parts or sample arrays.

Six-position turret with objectives and indenters
6-position turret

Automated workflows via turret and selectable objectives/indenters.

Overview camera for point selection and verification
Overview camera

Image-assisted selection and control of indent locations — for best-in-class repeatability.

Automated multisample screening with i3D®
Multisample screening

Fully automated multi-point testing across multiple specimens or within a component — ideal for series testing, microstructure, or process analyses.

3D surface measurement via white-light interferometry
Optional 3D metrology

White-light interferometer can be enabled for standalone, high-precision surface analysis.

i3D® software + Hardwin XL

i3D® is available across all Imprintec testing systems. Inverse FEM models characterize stress–strain curves from indent geometry, complemented by a second UI for classical hardness testing.

Learn more about inverse FEM
i3D® software and KB Hardwin interface
i3D® user interface and KB Hardwin
Indent maps inside the i3D® software
Indents in the i3D® software

Inverse FEM — rapid mechanical property evaluation from indents

The DIN SPEC 4864 indentation method enables low-damage, precise, and automated determination of yield strength (RIp0,2), tensile strength (RIm), and flow curves — without a tensile specimen. A small indent is created, its three-dimensional geometry (including pile-up) is measured optically, and an inverse finite-element model evaluates the indent to deliver key strength values in minutes. This removes costly specimen preparation for tensile tests and provides fast, local, decision-ready data — ideal for small parts, graded materials, or serial analyses across R&D and QA.

Learn more about the test method

Integrated classical hardness testing

Alongside the innovative i3D® method for yield (RIp0,2) and tensile strength (RIm), the i3D® mBV offers the full functionality of a universal hardness tester.

With test loads from 0.001 to 62.5 kgf and an automatic 6-position turret, standardized Vickers, Brinell, Knoop, and Rockwell tests are supported. Autofocus, automatic light control, and motorized XY tables enable highly precise and repeatable results — even in series measurements.

Control is handled via KB Hardwin XL, which supports automatic evaluation, data export, and reporting to PDF/Excel for seamless QA integration.

Vickers hardness impression with i3D® mBV
Vickers hardness indent

Procurement details for i3D® mBV

Lead time

Currently approx. 17 weeks after order (ex works)

Device classes

New units

Commercial models

Purchase (one-time)

Leasing (flexible terms)

Optional modules

3D surface metrology via white-light interferometry (WLI)

Superspeed mode (approx. 20 seconds per point)

Software packages

Questions?

Explore our complete i3D® range for research, development, and quality assurance.

Portrait of Peter Zok, materials testing specialist

Peter Zok

Applications – Materials Testing

Imprintec GmbH

15 years of experience in materials testing.

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