An easy and innovative technique for metal sheet characterization is described. A double indentation is performed on sheets by means of two co-axial small diameter flat indenters made of WC. A very small indentation is left on the sheet, so as to consider this technique a non destructive one, particularly suitable for on-line application. The proposed method was tested on sheets of aluminum alloy (6082 T6) with several thicknesses (nominally 0.6, 0.8, 1 and 1.5 mm). Double indentations were performed changing indenter diameter (1 and 2 mm) and testing rate (from 0.05 to 1 mm/min). In order to make a comparison with indentation tests, flat specimens were cut from the same sheets and standard tensile tests were performed. A very good correlation was found between indentation and tensile test results, showing the effectiveness of the proposed method. A suitable data normalization is necessary to correctly compare indentation and tensile data. The best results were obtained using the smaller diameter indenter. The testing rate seems to be not relevant in the experimented range, suggesting that a fast procedure can be defined on purpose for on-line application.
