The most popular portable hardness tester in the world is the Leeb hardness tester, however, there are tasks that using this method is very difficult or even impossible to solve. This is due to the physics of the method, which assumes the massiveness of the testing object, to ensure the inertness of the product when the Leeb’s impact body hits the surface with a given force. In order to solve a wider range of tasks on the rapid measurement of metal hardness, our company offers hardness testers that implement the method of ultrasonic contact impedance (UCI) in accordance with ASTM A1038. A vibrating rod (mechanical resonator) with a diamond tip acts as an indenter in these devices, when it indent into the material, the base frequency of the resonator changes, on the basis of which the hardness is calculated. This method has proven itself around the world and has been used in industry for over 50 years.
UCI Hardness Tester NOVOTEST T-U3
NOVOTEST Lab is your real laboratory in your pocket! Optionally with T-U3 (Lab) model only!
Do hardness measurements, calibrate the device, set up a convenient display of values, save the results of hardness measurements, synchronize the archive with your other devices and a PC, transfer measurement results to your colleagues – all this is available with your smartphone thanks to the special NOVOTEST app for Android.
Hardness testers have never had such opportunities! Using a Bluetooth connection, your smartphone connects to the hardness tester and you have a completely new device – a new generation hardness tester! The intuitive interface, ample opportunities for documenting results, Internet access, touch screen, camera, microphone and GPS receiver of a smartphone turn your hardness tester into something completely unique and previously inaccessible.
With NOVOTEST Lab App you are able:
– setting and calibration of the hardness tester;
– display of measurement results in real time in numerical form with the construction of a graph, histogram or statistics;
– take a picture of the test object with the puting of hardness marks;
creation of a video of the controlled product;
– recording audio notes fro the tested object;
– automatic saving of measurement geolocation on Google maps;
– displaying a Google map with markers of places of measurements made on it and the ability to view these measurements;
– displaying the calendar of measurements (presentation of the archive in the form of measurements grouped by date);
– formation of the final comprehensive report on the measurement;
– sending a finished report to e-mail, messenger (or in any convenient way) directly from the application;
– flexible structure of the archive of measurements – completely similar to the usual explorer, with the ability to create folders and files with any names;
– synchronization with PC and other smartphones;
– cloud service for storing the archive of measurements;
– automatic and manual synchronization of cloud measurement archives between devices;
– launching the Google navigation mode, building a route and accompanying to the point at which the measurements were made
– the ability to store archives of other devices with Bluetooth in one application.
The most modern and advanced ultrasonic device TM NOVOTEST is UCI Hardness Tester NOVOTEST T-U3, the main advantages of the device are:
MEASURING THE HARDNESS OF THIN-WALLED PRODUCTS
The UCI Hardness Tester NOVOTEST T-U3 allows user to measure products from 1 mm thick without additional tools, and even less with the use of the UCI Probe Test Stand NOVOTEST for thin sheets, which makes it unique among analogues.


MEASURING HARDNESS OF SMALL PRODUCTS
Using this device, the user can, without additional fixation and accessories, carry out hardness testing of products weighing just 100g or even less.
MEASURING HARDNESS OF COMPLEX SHAPED PRODUCTS
Unlike the standard Leeb probe, an ultrasonic (UCI) hardness tester probe needs an area of only a few square millimeters in order to measure hardness. This allows users to measure hardness in hard-to-reach places, products of complex shape, weld and heat affected zone (HAZ), gear teeth, etc.

METHOD IS PRACTICALLY NON-DESTRUCTIVE
The imprint after measuring the hardness by the UCI method is several microns, and is practically not detected by the naked eye, in comparison with the Leeb method, the imprint of which is about 500 microns in diameter, depending on the hardness. It also makes it possible to measure the hardness of hardened layers of materials (nitriding, cementation, etc.).
VARIOUS LOADS OF PROBES
As standard, the device comes with a probe whose indenter penetration force is 50N (5 kgf), this probe is the most universal and solves 90% of the tasks that can be solved using this method. However, in special cases there is a need to use probes with increased or reduced load on the resonator, the main features and applications are presented in the table:

PROBES UNIVERSALITY
The probe of the UCI Hardness Tester NOVOTEST T-U3 has a special nozzle, which ensures the perpendicularity of the indenter penetration into the surface of the tested object and minimizes the probability of operator error. Also, a special nozzle washer can be installed on the reverse side to operate with radius surfaces of different diameters. In the same way as it can be removed from the probe, in this case the thin nose of the probe can be installed in the grooves or in the narrow points of the product, where it is necessary to measure hardness.

ARCHIVING MEASUREMENT RESULTS WITH PHOTO FIXATION AND PRINT THE PROTOCOL ON A WIRELESS PRINTER
The world’s only portable hardness tester with a built-in camera, which allows users to save the image of the tested object with fixed points of the hardness value on its surface. Also, the device can be supplied with a wireless printer, which allows users to quickly print a measurement protocol without leaving the testing object.
UNIQUE RELIABILITY AND WARRANTY
NOVOTEST hardness testers are highly reliable. The ultrasonic hardness probe allows user to perform more than 200 thousand measurements without the need for repairs or replacements, and the design of the electronic unit allows to use it in quite difficult operating conditions. Subject to the rules of operation, the service life of the hardness tester is more than 10 years.

UCI Hardness Tester NOVOTEST T-U3 also comes with special software for operate with the device archive and subsequent data transfer for processing in convenient formats.

- Hardness measurement of any mass products with a thickness more than 1 mm – inaccessible to the dynamic (Leeb) hardness testers (small parts, thin-walled structures, pipes, tanks, steel sheets, articles of complex shape, hardness control of metal coatings, etc.)
- Measuring the hardness of the surface hardened layer
- Small imprint after measuring (mirror surfaces of shafts necks, blades, gear teeth, etc.)
- Wide range of hardness testing
- Various measurement modes
- Calibration of any scale in any range
- Convenience and ease for measurement
- Optimized number of buttons
- Large full color graphic display with bright back-lighting
- Calibrations stored in memory of probe
- Extended temperature range (frost, down to – 40°C)
- Internal memory and communication with PC
- New, intuitive menu with tips on the buttons
- Optional wireless mini printer
- Water resistant case
- Rubber protected bumper
- Has different operating modes:
Graph – the mode of building of graph
Histogram – the mode of building of histogram
Statistics – the mode of statistic
Smart – the mode of filtering of incorrect measurements
UCI probe types |
|
Measuring range |
|
Measuring accuracy |
|
Standards |
|
Indenter | Diamond indenter (UCI) |
Measuring direction | Any direction 360° |
Data storage | Limited only by the memory card |
Hardness scale |
|
Materials |
|
Data display |
|
PC cable connection |
|
Wireless connection with Android gadgets via NOVOTEST Lab App |
|
Language |
|
Indication | Color LCD display (320×240) |
Operating environment | Temperature:-20°C~40°C; Humidity: 30%~80%R.H. |
Power supply | DC 4,5V (3 pcs batteries AA) |
Batteries life | Approx. 10 hours |
Instrument dimensions | 160x75x30mm |
Net weight | Approx. 0.3kg (without probe) |
Gross weight (package) | 1.7kg |
Package dimensions | 33*27*10cm |
- Additional UCI probes can be purchased. Also, after the purchase if will be needed, user can order dynamic Leeb probe (D, DC, DL, C, D+15, E, G) with activation code and will get combined hardness tester with two probes (Leeb+UCI).
- Different colors of rubber bumper protected case
- Wireless printer
- Batteries
- Chargers
- Hardness tests blocks
- Portable grinding machine
- Case for hardness tester
- Can be equipped with three types of UCI probes:
98N(10 kgf) | Special type of probe with increased load. To carry out the measurement, it is necessary to apply a load of 10 kgf (set automatically by the probe).Low surface cleanliness requirements. | – Heat-treated and cemented parts with poorly prepared surface.- Measurement on blades, on the inner surface of pipes, holes with high roughness. |
50 N(5 kgf) | The main type of probe for solving most hardness measurement tasks. To carry out the measurement, it is necessary to apply a load of 5 kgf (set automatically by the probe).Medium surface cleanliness requirements. | – Heat-treated and cemented parts, such as shafts, turbines, gears, teeth, welds, heat affected zones.- Measurement in grooves, on teeth, in grooves, on radius surfaces.- Measurement on the blades, on the inner surface of the pipes, holes. |
10 N(1 kgf) | Probe with reduced load – designed to measure the hardness of products with increased requirements for the size of the print (polished, polished surfaces), to measure the hardness of thin surface hardened layers. For the measurement, a load of 1 kgf must be applied.More demanding on surface cleanliness, compared with U1 (50N). | – Nitrided and cemented surface layers of molds, dies, dies, thin-walled parts.- Bearings, tooth flanks, saws.- Hardness measurement of thin hardening coatings.- Measurement on products after thorough machining. |
- Hardness tester
- UCI probe (10N, 50N or 98N for choice)
- 3pcs AA batteries
- Charger
- USB cable
- Operating manual
- Software for PC
- Case

Operation with Android Software NOVOTEST Lab for smartphones and NOVOTEST devices
NOVOTEST hardness tester in your smartphone. Special App make device smarter!
Screen Recording of hardness tester T-UD3 smartphone application
UCI Hardness Tester NOVOTEST T-U3. Video review
Correct UCI probe use for accurate results. UCI Hardness Tester NOVOTEST T-U3 (T-UD3)
Calibration UCI Hardness Tester NOVOTEST T-U3 (T-UD3)
Operation with portable wireless printer for Hardness Tester NOVOTEST T-U3 (T-UD3)