MST provides, on request, the analysis of a particular rounded cone indenter. For this purpose, the indenter's TEM image is measured on a CAD program set to the microscope scale at which the image was taken. Fig. 10 shows the graphic analysis of indenter VR 13211 as an example. Table 1 is the spread sheet where the parameters have been entered. Equations (21 ) and (12) are used to calculate a series of values for r and A at equally spaced h intervals. Notice that r T (at h = h T = 2.200) is calculated independently with equations (21) and (12). The results differ slightly because the 3 significant decimal precision may round the values in some of the calculations. The "K factor" is a number used to adjust equation (21). K values fall between 1.00 and 0.70. The value of K is adjusted empirically to minimize the difference between r T calculated and r T measured. On Table 1 r T calculated with equation (21) is 2.047, r T measured is 2.049 using K = 0.890. In the appendix several different indenters are measured point by point and compared to the calculated values, showing the validity of equation (21). In the case of a perfect spherical indenter R T = R P = R and, equation (21) becomes equation (4), The graphic and calculated analysis of rounded conical indenters described here is available on request for purchased indenters.
