Texture Analysis in Action: Vickers and Shore Hardness Probe

Vickers testing has been a very widely-used technique for many materials for decades due to simple data analysis and test preparation. 

Many applications demand a tip made from a very hard material such as diamond or sapphire, as the indenter must be significantly harder than the material under investigation. However, stainless steel is suitable for testing many softer materials such as tablets, soap, fruit and vegetables, cheese, chocolate and some polymers.

Traditionally, Vickers hardness is calculated by inputting the indentation diagonals into a standard formula. However, instrumented indentation on a Texture Analyser allows automatic hardness analysis without the use of a microscope. It also enables other parameters such as stress relaxation and elastic-plastic energy ratios to be calculated. 

This stainless steel Vickers indenter is designed for fast and repeatable hardness testing of soft materials, such as those often used in the food, pharmaceutical and personal care industries.

Shore Hardness Probes (A and D)

Shore durometers are used to determine indentation hardness of materials by using a measurement of resistance to deformation. 

A and D are the two most commonly used scales and have slightly different geometries. These probes are generally used as an empirical test for quality control as well as research and development rather than the investigation of a material’s properties. It is attractive for these purposes as it is a quick test to perform, and the hardness scale is easy to understand (although cannot be equated to other indentation hardness measurements).

The majority of Shore hardness testing is carried out on standard and vulcanised rubber, thermoplastic elastomers, gels and plastics. Before measuring any of these materials, it is necessary to refer to Shore reference tables, as some materials are better suited to Shore methods other than A and D. 

Exponent software now holds suitable projects ready to test Vickers and Shore Hardness using these probes.

See a summary of the types of probes and fixtures available for materials testing applications by requesting our new materials testing flyer

For more information on these new probes, please email us.


There is a Texture Analysis test for virtually any physical property. Contact Stable Micro Systems today to learn more about our full range of solutions.

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For more information on how to measure texture, please visit the Texture Analysis Properties section on our website.

The TA.XTplus texture analyser is part of a family of texture analysis instruments and equipment from Stable Micro Systems. An extensive portfolio of specialist attachments is available to measure and analyse the textural properties of a huge range of food products. Our technical experts can also custom design instrument fixtures according to individual specifications.

No-one understands texture analysis like we do!

To discuss your specific test requirements click here...