The Elcometer 3000 Manual Clemen Hardness Tester (part number K0003000M001) is a simple instrument for evaluating the resistance of a coated surface to scratching. Coating hardness indicates how well a film has cured and how it will stand up to handling and service; a coating that scratches too easily signals an incomplete cure or a film that will fail prematurely, so a controlled scratch test gives an objective measure of that resistance.

In use, a tool fitted with a 1mm diameter hemispherical tip is lowered gradually onto the sample surface, which is then pulled linearly 60mm. Depending on the load applied, the tool penetrates the coating to varying degrees, from a superficial trace to total destruction down to the substrate, and the point at which damage occurs characterises the coating's scratch resistance. The applied load of the Elcometer 3000 Manual Clemen Hardness Tester is variable from 0 to 2000g, and the Elcometer 3000 Manual Clemen Hardness Tester accepts samples up to 75mm wide.

The Elcometer 3000 Manual Clemen Hardness Tester measures 410 by 200 by 155mm and weighs 6kg. The Elcometer 3000 Clemen Hardness Tester can be used in accordance with ISO 1518-1:2011, EN 13523-12 and AS/NZS 1580.403.1, along with BS 3900-E2, DIN 53799 and ECCA T12, standards that define the scratch resistance test method for paints and coil-coated products.

Used in coatings laboratories and quality control across paint, coil coating and protective coatings work, the Elcometer 3000 Manual Clemen Hardness Tester is supplied in South Africa by BAMR, the country's authorised distributor.