The PB1000 mechanical tester from Nanovea combines scratch, indentation and wear testing across nano and micro load ranges in a single flexible 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 the full load range. A range of optional modules, including environmental control, AFM and profilometry, further extend the system’s capabilities.
By combining nano and micro mechanical testing techniques in a single platform, the PB1000 eliminates the need for multiple instruments.
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.
Wide Load Range
What is it: Covers nano and micro test loads from low nano up to 400N – one of the widest ranges available all in a single system.
Why it matters: Run wide range of tests of different materials from soft polymers to hard coatings without needing multiple instruments.
Scratch, Indentation and Wear Testing
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.
High Accuracy Closed-Loop control
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.
Modular and Expandable Platform
What is it: Optional modules including environmental testing, AFM and profilometry 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.
From thin films to bulk materials, the PB1000 enables mechanical characterisation across a wide range of materials using nanoindentation, microindentation, scratch and wear testing in a single platform.
Thin Films and Coatings
Adhesion, hardness and durability testing of PVD, CVD and protective coatings.
Surface Engineering
Evaluation of layer interaction, failure mechanisms and coating-substrate performance.
Polymers and Soft Materials
Low-load mechanical characterisation of polymers, elastomers and biomaterials.
Metals and Bulk Materials
Micro to macro hardness testing across a wide load range.
Tribology
Wear resistance, friction behaviour and surface durability analysis.
The PB1000 mechanical tester has a wide range of testing capabilities all with high accuracy and repeatability.
Available for testing in Nano and Micro load ranges.
Indentation
| Hardness & Elastic Modulus | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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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Scratch
| Cohesive Failure | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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. |  |
Friction
| Coefficient of Friction | |
| 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 Options
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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Liquid cup with custom height Heated liquid version available |
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| Humidity | |
| Indenter and sample enclosed in humidity chamber. Humidity control down to below 5% and up to dew point. |
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| Vaccum | |
| Full mechanical testing in vacuum environment. Contact us for more information. |
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Optical Options
During the build there are optical options that can be added to the PB1000 mechanical tester.
Atomic Force Microscope
AFM expands 3D capabilities into the angstrom measurement range. This includes lateral resolution which is not possible using optical techniques.
| Lateral Resolution | 1.7nm |
| Height Resolution | 0.4nm | 0.13nm |
| Modes | Static, Dynamic & Extended |
| X-Y Scan Range | 110µm |
| X-Y Scan Resolution | 25µm |
| Calibration With Indenter | Accurate to within under 0.2µm of indenter position |
Video Microscope Imaging
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 |
3D Optical Profiler
A 3D Optical Profiler can be used to scan and analyze samples before, after or independently from a mechanical test. A Nanovea profilometer is mounted on the PB1000 and powerful analysis software is installed onto the tool PC.
| Max Z Range | up to 3mm |
| Surface Measurements | 2D & 3D Non-Contact |
| Calibration With Indenter | Accurate to within under 0.2µm of indenter position |
| Scan Area | Large surface scan with no image stitching required |
| Measurement capability | Any roughness, any material with high accuracy |
| Base Specifications | |
| X-Y Stage Travel | 200mm x 150mm |
| XY Lateral Resolution | 0.1µm |
| Z Motorized Approach | 50mm |
| Adjustable Z-Clearance | 140mm extra manual height adjustment |
| 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. | ||
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