Abrasion damage to printed materials can occur during shipment, storage, handling, or by the end user. This abrasion can result in significant degradation in product appearance and legibility of the product information. The legibility of printing on labels or other materials is very important for medical device and pharmaceutical products in particular.
Using the Sutherland Rub Test, our engineers can determine the amount of scuff or abrasion damage that may occur to printed materials during shipment, storage, or handling. This test procedure can simulate the effects of human use in continuous contact or dual surface abrasion a variety of types.
The Sutherland Rub Test is performed by attaching a label to the device while a similar sample label is attached to a weight. The two samples are then rubbed against one another at a controlled speed for a predetermined number of cycles. Once the rubbing stops, the samples are visually inspected to see if the ink has worn off or not. This helps to determine if printing is durable enough to withstand a typical handling and transportation environment.
Common Test Standards for Sutherland Rub Testing:
- ASTM D5264 – Standard Practice for Abrasion Resistance of Printed Materials
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