If you want to carry out grid adhesion tests but are unsure of the choice of equipment, you will find some considerations below to help you make your choice.

Cross-cut adhesion tests are described in ISO 2409 and ASTM D3359.

These two standards indicate that the number of incisions and the spacing between the incisions should be adapted according to the thickness of the coating.

According to ISO 2409, 6 incisions should be made (thus making it possible to make a grid of 5x5 squares) using the following spacings:

• up to 60 µm: 1 mm spacing, for hard substrates (eg metal and plastic).
• up to 60 µm: spacing of 2 mm, for soft substrates (eg wood and plaster).
• from 61 µm to 120 µm: spacing of 2 mm, for hard and soft substrates.
• from 121 µm to 250 µm: spacing of 3 mm, for hard and soft substrates.

According to ASTM D3359, it is necessary to make 11 incisions (thus making it possible to make a grid of 10x10 squares) using the following spacings:

• up to 50 µm: 1 mm spacing.
• from 51 to 125 µm: spacing of 1.5 mm.

Labomat essor offers several solutions:

• CC1000 Roller Combs
• CC2000 claw comb
• Claw comb with adjustable incision depth CC3000
• Master Paint Plate SP3000 Multi-Tool

The CC1000 roller combs are recommended when you want to measure the adhesion of products that are always in the same thickness range.

Indeed, a wheel has 8 sets of blades (1 set per 1/4 turn then reverse the assembly of the wheel to have 4 additional sets of blades).

The price of a wheel being less than 8 claws, it is the best solution when working mainly in the same range of thickness.

CC2000 claw combs are particularly interesting when you have to change the spacing between the blades frequently

The advantage of claw combs is that they can change the type of blade in a few seconds. You just have to loosen the red screw, slide the claw and insert the new one.

It is the ideal solution when it is necessary to measure the adhesion of coatings of various thicknesses.

CC3000 adjustable incision depth claw combs use the same claws as the CC2000 combs but have an adjustment system allowing you to always have the same incision depth.

This solution makes it possible, for example, in the framework of tests on wood to ensure that the incision cuts the coating well but does not risk cutting the fibers of the wood used as substrate.

The CC1000, CC2000 and CC3000 grid combs can be offered alone or in the form of cases comprising:

• Storage case
• Grid comb and its blade set or wheel
• Brush
• Illuminating magnifying glass
• Adhesive roll

Finally, the Master Paint Plate SP3000 multifunction tool is a template for making incisions using a cutter

The Master Paint Plate tool is recommended when the use of a grid comb is not possible for reasons of size or shape of the sample to be measured.