ASTM D4060 is a specification that determines the “Abrasion Resistance of Organic Coatings by the Taber Abraser.” Although written for organic coatings, the same method applies to inorganic coatings.

 

The only difference for inorganic coatings such as anodizing, electroplating or galvanizing is the test will run continuously throughout its duration. For organic coatings such as; powder coat, e-coat, or paint the test is stopped every 500 cycles per section 9.1 of ASTM D4060 and the wheels are resurfaced.

 

Prior to exposure, a ¼ inch hole is drilled through the center of the sample to allow fixturing to the taber machine. After the sample is drilled it is weighed before testing to the nearest .1mg.

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Listed below are the parameters that need to be known or met prior to the start of  ASTM D4060 taber abrasion testing.

 

Sample Size: 4”x4” no thicker than 1/4”

 

Wheel Type: Although, many different wheels are available for taber testing, CS-10 and CS-17 are the most common. (CS-17 being the harsher of the two wheels).

 

Revolutions or Cycles: This constitutes how many “turns” on the machine. If you’re running to a standard such as MIL-A-8625F this will be 10,000 cycles. A typical test cycle duration is anywhere from 500 cycles to 10,000 cycles.

 

Load or Weight: A load of 1,000g per wheel shall be used, unless otherwise agreed upon. Other loads are as follows:  250g or 500g loads

 

At the conclusion of testing the sample(s) are then re-weighed. The wear index is then calculated by taking the average mass loss per 1,000 cycles per section 12 of ASTM D4060.

 

Assured Testing Services has multiple taber abrasion machines that meet  the ASTM D4060 standard. One of our machines is shown with an exposed sample on this page.  The ASTM D4060 standard can also be downloaded from the ASTM website at the link below:

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ASTM D4060 Specification Download

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