Sutherland Rub Test

ASTM D5264 Standard Practice for Abrasion Resistance of Printed Materials by Sutherland Rub Tester

Packaging Compliance Labs provides ASTM D5264 standard Sutherland Rub testing to gauge the amount of scuffing or abrasion caused during shipping, handling, and storage. For medical packaging this test is critical to ensure that labeling remains legible over the course of time.

Industry Application

This testing procedure is frequently used as a label comparison R&D tool. It is performed by rubbing a printed label against a substrate to evaluate scuffing resistance. The Sutherland Rub test can aid in the decision regarding one printing technology or another.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Sutherland Rub Test do?
Sutherland Rub Testing per ASTM D5264 tests to gauge the abrasions that are caused during shipping, handling, storage, and end use. The amount of abrasion damage to a printed substrate is dependent on shipping conditions, possibly temperature and humidity, time, and many other variables.

Is Sutherland Rub Test a required test method for medical device packaging validation?
It is not. Rather, this practice provides a way of comparing abrasion resistance of printed materials under laboratory conditions. Sutherland Rub testing can also be used to evaluate the relative abrasion resistance of printed inks, coatings, laminates, and substrates.