Scratch and Mar Testing for Damage Prevention

You've created what you think could be a successful product. In reality, however, your job isn't done until you've made sure that your work can withstand abuse. Scratch testing could be a critical part of your success, and at Surface Machine, we're ready to help. We are experts in the technologies used to do your scratch and mar testing for damage prevention on your product.

Why do modern companies need mar testing and what do they stand to gain?

Here are the facts from the experts.

How Our Scratch Testing Works

We conduct rigorous tests designed to describe the fundamental qualities that underly durability. Our devices use special abrasive and cutting tool heads to not only measure how resistant to scratching different items are but also characterize the geometry and structure of blemishes.

Why Test Materials With Surface Machine?

By performing repetitive tests under strictly controlled environmental conditions, we generate reports that reveal how well-suited products are to their intended uses. Our in-depth descriptions empower business leaders, researchers and acquisitions specialists to make more cost-effective decisions regarding hardware design and composition. We pride ourselves on our consistency and attention to detail. We know that our customers have a lot riding on the quality and durability of their products, so we care about providing results they can depend on. In addition to performing trials in-house, we sell evaluation machines to end users and industrial groups, making us experts at effective testing.

What Can We Test for Scratch?

Our systems are capable of testing a near-infinite range of substances. In addition to conducting assessments on novel materials, we routinely work with

  • Polymers
  • Metals
  • Textiles
  • Plastics
  • Organic composites

We can also examine a variety of product types, such as bottles, enclosures and building materials. Our versatile evaluation rig works with raw and finished materials alike, making it possible to test substrates for durability as well as evaluate coatings, layered systems and seals.

Dimensional Requirements

For your convenience, we work with many different sample sizes. These sizes have been carefully determined to ensure that the testing apparatus can grip the material securely to produce consistent results and more accurate data:

Width and Depth

All sample pieces must be at least 0.5" x 4", or 10 mm x 100 mm. Our rigs are equipped to handle individual samples that are no larger than 12" x 24", or 300 mm x 600 mm.

Thickness

We can test materials that are up to 1.5", or 40 mm, thick. There are no lower bounds for sample thicknesses as our machines are able to hold extremely thin materials.

Why Use Scratch Testing in the First Place?

Mar testing isn't just about learning whether a product or material can resist casual wear and tear. It also plays a critical role in improving results when using hardware in harsh environments.

Ensuring Favorable QA Test Results

Quality assurance can be an expensive, time-consuming process. Performing scratch tests on critical components in advance can minimize QA overhead by discovering issues before they induce test failures.

Making Safer Products

Hardware coatings and exoskeletons are often vital to ensuring user safety. Scratch tests can improve these elements' power to do their job.

Minimizing Product Returns

Although most customers won't return consumer goods that succumb to small scratches, such problems may lead to more severe failures with time. For instance, blemishes that occur in the field may expose substrates to environmental factors that they simply weren't made to resist, such as moisture. Mar tests make it easier to ensure that products won't end up being returned due to quality deficiencies.

Increasing Customer Satisfaction

Durable products that live up to expectations tend to be looked upon more favorably by consumers. Running a series of scratch tests during development helps companies better communicate their products' capabilities. In other words, it leaves customers feeling far more satisfied.

Adhere to Strict Compliance Standards

Rigorous product tests can help your firm survive in heavily regulated fields. To this end, we conduct testing and provide reports that satisfy a number of common frameworks, such as:

  • ISO 19252:2008
  • ASTM D7027
  • ASTM D5178
  • Volkswaken PV3952
  • GM14688-A-10N
  • Toyota TSL3618G 4.9 Coefficient of Surface Friction

Get Started Now

Don't develop products in the dark. Discover precisely how resistant your material is to scratch by talking to a mar testing expert at Surface Machine today.