Scratch and abrasion resistance tests on plastic coatings and parts

The automotive, packaging and construction industries, among others, require extreme control of surface finishes because of mandatory requirements when using specific materials, quality control requirements or the need to select the most suitable material and/or coating for the application in question.

Scratch and abrasion resistance tests

These tests enable us to measure the hardness of the coating or substrate and to determine the resistance of these materials to wear. This information is used to determine the shelf life of parts, identify any changes in optical properties after the scratch tests and calculate the protective capacity of the coating.

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Construction

Depending on the material to be tested and/or the type of product, the most suitable test is selected to evaluate the material’s resistance or hardness.
In the construction industry, tests can be found in different standards, such as UNE-EN 438 on high-pressure decorative laminates (HPL) and UNE-EN 14688 on sanitary appliances.
For paints and varnishes, scratch resistance can be measured using the method described in UNE-EN ISO 1518-1.

Automotive Industry

For the automotive industry, different devices can be used to assess scratch and abrasion resistance, such as:

  • Pencil hardness test.
  • Scratch test in accordance with Volkswagen’s PV 3952 standard.
  • Car wash. Find out more »
  • Five-finger scratch tester.
  • Linear abraser crockmeter.
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How we do it

AIMPLAS has the manual and automatic equipment required to comply with the most common regulations in the construction and automotive industries.

Our experts also have extensive experience, which enables them to perform tests that require the highest level of qualification due to the techniques and methods applied.

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How can we help you?

Contact us

Rosalía Guerra

Rosalía Guerra

Laboratory Director