ALTANA Buchholz Indentation Tester Operating Instructions - Manual (Page 4)

1.0 General 1.1 Reference Value
The reference value for the deter-
mination of the hardness
according to Buchholz ISO 2815
and DIN EN ISO 2815 is the
reciprocal of the indentation length
produced when a circular shaped
cutter blade of defined profile and
dimension is applied to a paint film
under a defined load.
1.2 Indentation Tester
The indentation tester consists of
a double cone block with a circular
shaped cutter blade made of
hardened tool steel.
It acts on the film surface with an
effective load of 500 g ± 5 g.
1.3 Evaluation
A measuring microscope is used
to examine and measure the
indentation in the paint film. The
microscope is fitted with a
graduated scale capable of
reading to 0.1 mm and with lamp
illumination having an angle
of more than 60°. This angel
produces a shadow area over the
total length of the indentation.
1.4 Requirements for the
Buchholz Indentation Test
1. A paint film of sufficient thickness.
2. The substrate of the film must not
deform under test load.