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The CB500 mechanical tester from Nanovea is capable of nanoindentation or microindentation, with scratch, and friction testing on a compact benchtop platform.
It enables researchers to characterise materials from soft polymers to hard coatings, measuring properties such as hardness, elastic modulus, creep, stress–strain behaviour, scratch resistance and coefficient of friction.
True closed-loop feedback control, using independent load and depth sensors, ensures high accuracy and repeatability across nano or micro load ranges. A range of optional modules, including environmental control further extend the system’s capabilities.
The compact design of the CB500 with it’s 100 x 50mm stage make it ideal for labs where space is limited but there is no compromise on quality of testing.
Nanovea Inc are based in Irvine, a tech hub of Southern California. They have been redefining standards in quality control and materials development internationally for over a decade. Nanovea’s instruments can be found in renowned education and industrial organisations around the world.
What is it: Covers nano or micro test loads from low nano up to 400N.
Why it matters: Configure the tool for your exact research requirements, whether testing soft polymers or hard coatings.
What is it: A multi-technique platform for mechanical and tribological testing.
Why it matters: Perform complementary tests on the same sample improving efficiency and consistency. No need to buy separate hardness, scratch or friction testers.
What is it: True closed-loop feedback using independent load and depth sensors.
Why it matters: Accurate, repeatable data you can trust where load programmed = actual load applied. Open loop can also be selected if needed.
What is it: Optional modules for environmental testing that can be added at the beginning or later.
Why it matters: Extend capability as requirements evolve without replacing the system. Don’t need it at the start? No stress, you can add it later.
Designed for labs that need high-quality mechanical testing in a compact footprint, the CB500 enables precise characterisation of materials using nanoindentation or microindentation, alongside scratch, wear, and friction testing. It is particularly well suited to focused studies, smaller samples, and environments where space and budget are key considerations.
The CB500 Nanoindentation Or Microindentation, Scratch and Wear Tester has a wide range of testing capabilities all with high accuracy and repeatability.
Available for testing in Nano or Micro load ranges.
Hardness & Elastic Modulus |
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| Instrumented Indentation is a modern method used to measure hardness and elastic modulus of materials.
A hard tip of a pre-defined geometry is pressed into a material while continuously measuring the applied load and indentation depth using highly sensitive sensors.Tests can consist of single indents, or maps to measure distribution of properties across a sample. |
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Fracture Toughness |
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| Indentation fracture toughness is a way to estimate how resistant a material is to cracking by observing and measuring the cracks that form under a controlled indentation.
Acoustic emission can be used to provide additional data and to help understand what is happening unseen beneath the surface during the test. |
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Yield Strength and Fatigue |
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| Yield strength is the stress at which a material begins to deform plastically and it is calculated during the same testing process as hardness.
Fatigue is the damage and eventual failure caused by repeating loading cycles. Indentation fatigue testing tracks how a material’s response evolves under repeated small-scale loading to assess its resistance to fatigue damage. |
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Creep and Relaxation |
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| Creep is the time-dependent increase in deformation under a constant load. When performing instrumented indentation on a Nanovea tool, you can program the tool to hold the maximum load for a set duration and measure how the indentation depth continues to increase over time.
Stress relaxation is the decrease in stress under constant deformation. In instrumented indentation you can hold the indenter at a constant depth to observe how the required load decreases over time. |
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Stress vs Strain |
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| A stress-strain curve describes how a material deforms under load and is inferred from the load-displacement curve during instrumented indentation.
Models such as Oliver-Pharr can be used to estimate this equivalent stress-strain response. |
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Loss and Storage Modulus |
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| Loss modulus represents the viscous response which is how much energy is lost during deformation.
Storage modulus represents the elastic response which is how much energy the material stores and gives back. This is especially useful for polymers, coatings and viscoelastic materials. |
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Cohesive Failure |
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| Cohesive failure occurs within a coating or surface itself in the form of cracks or chips. It is when a coating breaks internally but does not detach from the surface. |  |
Adhesive Failure |
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| Adhesive failure is when a coating is delaminated from the surface. It usually means that the bonding between a coating and the surface is not strong enough for the application. |  |
Scratch Hardness |
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| Scratch hardness is a measure of a material’s resistance to permanent deformation during a scratch. It is particularly useful for coatings and surface treatments. |  |
Coefficient of Friction |
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| The coefficient of friction is a measure of how much a material resists sliding against another surface. It is calculated by friction tables that measure the lateral force applied to the tip during a test and the normal force of the tip being pressed into the surface. |  |
Environmental modules can be added when the instrument is first built, or later on site allowing users to limit initial spend and utilise budgets available later (excluding vacuum which must be supplied at the start).
High Temperature |
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| Controlled temperatures up to 600°C. Tip and sample inside oven for increased accuracy. Designed with MACOR with low thermal expansion coefficient of material of <10-6/°C. |
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Low Temperature |
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| Enclosed peltier cooling system for increased accuracy. Down to -10°C / <-40°C lower customer temperature. Tip and sample inside enclosed environment for increased accuracy. |
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Liquid |
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| Liquid cup with custom height Heated liquid version available |
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Humidity |
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| Indenter and sample enclosed in humidity chamber. Humidity control down to below 5% and up to dew point. |
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Vacuum |
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| Full mechanical testing in vacuum environment. Contact us for more information. |
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During the build there are optical options that can be added to the CB500 mechanical tester.
The addition of a video microscope allows the user to visually examine their sample before selecting where to make a mechanical test. It is also used to image scratches for analysis within the tool software.
| Objective Magnification | Up to 100x |
| Colour Video Camera |
1200 x 1600 |
| Calibration With Indenter | Accurate to within under 0.2µm of indenter position |
| Image Stitching | Large area stitching capability |
| Base Specifications | |
| X-Y Stage Travel | 100mm x 50mm |
| XY Lateral Resolution | 0.1µm |
| Z Motorized Approach | 50mm |
| Test Modules | ||
| Nano Module | Specification | Micro Module |
| Indentation, scratch, wear & friction | Modes of Testing | Indentation, scratch, wear & friction |
| 80 | 400 | 1800 | 4800mN | Load Range | 20 | 40 | 200 |400N |
| 250 | 1500µm | Depth Range | 1mm |
| 40 | 400 | 1800mN | Friction Range | 20 | 200N |
| 150-400kHz | Acoustic Emission Frequencies | 150 – 400kHz |
| 0.1 to 100Hz | DMA/CSM Frequencies | N/A |
| 5 minutes for 100 indents | Fastmap | 12 minutes for 100 indents |
| 275° | 450°C | High Temperature | 275° | 450° | 600°C |
| Down to -10°C | <-40°C | Low Temperature | Down to -10°C | <-40°C |
| 5% to Dew Point | Humidity | 5% to Dew Point |
| Yes | Liquid | Yes |
| Values separated by | indicate different build options. | ||
Who is this system for?
The CB500 is primarily for researchers who want to work across multiple applications in nanoindentation or microindentation, scratch and/or friction testing. It is for researchers looking for a compact tool that is powerful but compact.
How does the CB500 compare to the PB1000?
There are two core differences between the CB500 and the PB1000. The first is stage size with the CB500 having a more compact stage of 50mm x 100mm compared to 150mm x 200mm on the PB1000. The second is that the CB500 can be configured to work in the Nano range or the Micro range whereas the PB1000 can be configured to work in both. The CB500 is an excellent tool if you want a nano tester or a micro tester. If you want both, then the PB1000 will give you that, although if you have budget and you prefer a benchtop tool then you could purchase both a nano CB500 and a micro CB500.
What is a hardness tester?
A hardness tester is a device used to measure how resistant a material is to deformation by pressing an indenter into its surface under a controlled force. By assessing the material’s response to this force, it provides a hardness value that indicates properties such as strength, wear resistance, and durability. Hardness testing is widely used in quality control, research, and manufacturing to ensure materials meet required performance standards.
What is instrumented indentation?
Nanovea tools use instrumented indentation when testing materials. Instrumented indentation is an advanced testing method that measures a material’s mechanical properties by continuously recording force and displacement as an indenter is pressed into and withdrawn from the surface. Instead of relying only on the final impression, it analyses the full loading and unloading curve to determine hardness as well as additional properties such as elastic modulus. This approach delivers more detailed and precise insight into material behaviour, making it ideal for coatings, thin films, and high-precision applications.
What is a scratch tester?
A scratch tester is a device used to evaluate a material or coating’s resistance to scratching, adhesion, and surface damage. It works by drawing a stylus across the surface under a controlled and progressively increasing load, while monitoring the material’s response. By identifying the point at which damage, cracking, or coating failure occurs, scratch testing provides valuable insight into durability, coating adhesion, and overall surface performance, making it widely used in coatings development, quality control, and materials research.
Resources related to the Nanovea range of mechanical testers.
Other instruments in the Nanovea range.
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