When testing coarse-grained materials typical of forged and cast large components, the Leeb hardness tester produces larger indentations than other instruments, resulting in more consistent results.
However, for some applications, such as testing in a small area of the heat affected zone (HAZ) to determine whether the welding process is correct, it is necessary to rely on smaller indentations produced by the Vickers method or the Rockwell penetration measurement principle. Here, the high hardness peak is mainly detected. If the rebound method is used, the large indentation may be affected by the weld or the base metal, so this peak may not be detected.