Ames began making Ames Portable Rockwell Hardness Testers in 1947. In 1975 Ames was acquired by Electro Arc. The Ames line of portable hardness testers has been made in Michigan since.
In 1997 it came to the attention of the Electro Arc company that each of it’s testers had been purchased by a company in China and duplicated. Now Chinese copies of Ames Portable Hardness testers are available online, bearing a striking resembelance to the handcrafted testers we manufacture everyday. Each of our testers are built one at a time following the ASTM E110 standard for the Rockwell scale. Each genuine Ames Hardness tester is individually calibrated to the Rockwell scales and bears a signed certificate with each tester.
How can you tell if your Ames Portable Hardness Tester is genuine?
- It bears the Ames symbol within the dial indicator
- You bought it directly from Amesportablehardnesstesters.com
- Call us with the model number located on the front of your tester – we keep records of every tester we sell
- Check the documentation included with your tester
How important is metal hardness testing? Consider the information provided by hardness testing and its significance in structural (i.e. bridges), aerospace, automotive, quality control, failure analysis and many other forms of manufacturing and industry. Determining material properties provides valuable insight to the durability, strength, flexibility and capabilities of a variety of component types from raw materials to finished goods.
Hardness testing is used extensively to characterize materials and to determine if they are suitable for their intended use. Why then would you buy a Chinese copy of a hardness tester?
- When quality is critical, should you trust a counterfeit hardness tester?
- Can it be calibrated?
- Will it hold up?
- Can it be serviced?
- Does it really meet the ASTM standard?
Ames Hardness Testers can be repaired and calibrated at our facility in Dexter Michigan. We also service Dell models. We do not offer service for any other brands. When considering a purchase of a Rockwell Hardness Tester to insure quality, you should consider its quality, repeat-ability and reliability.
