Mechanical Property SSM System
Non-linear
Ball Indenters		 Conventional
Universal Testing
Machines		 Conventional
Hardness/
Microhardness
Testers		 Ultra-low Load Indentation
Testers
including IIT
Linear Berkovich Indenters
True-Stress vs
True-Plastic-Strain
Curve		 Nondestructive Destructive No No
Yield Strength Nondestructive Destructive No No
Strain Hardening
Exponent (n)
(Uniform Ductility)		 Nondestructive Destructive No No
Strength Coefficient (K) Nondestructive Destructive No No
Fracture Toughness Nondestructive
derived from flow
properties
Haggag Toughness Method (HTM)		 Destructive No No
Elastic modulus Nondestructive Destructive No Indentation Modulus *
May not correlate to elastic modulus
Hardness number ABI hardness No Vickers, Rockwell, Brinell Marten's Hardness *
* Quasi-nondestructive since it makes an indentation with a sharp indenter, leaving potential crack-initiation site

Compare Automated Ball IndentationTM (ABI) and Instrumented Indentation Testing (IIT)