The Measurement of the Pile-up Topography of Hardness Indentations

A number of indentations were made in 70:30 brass specimens. The resulting surface disturbance was analyzed using a stylus-based 3D topography measuring instrument. Numerical methods based on progressive truncation routines were developed in order to calculate the volume of the surface disturbance. The validity of the approach was analyzed by the use of simulated indentations, where the volume of the disturbance was set mathematically. Additionally, the effect of varying levels of random surface roughness on the volume calculations was investigated. The results indicate that the progressive truncation method is a suitable tool for the calculation of the volume of disturbance around indentations. Additionally, the principles of the measurement are widely applicable in the tribology field for volume estimations.