Plastic Film & Sheet Tear Testing Equipment

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Plastic Film & Sheet Tear Testing Equipment
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Plastic film and sheeting usually fail by tearing once a nick or a perforation starts, and tear resistance is the property that decides how far the tear runs. NextGen supplies Elmendorf pendulum testers for plastic film, sheeting, paper and textiles, working to ASTM D1922 and ISO 6383-2 for film and sheeting and ASTM D1424 for fabrics.

The range covers Elmendorf testers with interchangeable pendulums and a high-energy model with pneumatic clamping for tougher materials, both calculating tear force automatically. Testers are installed and calibrated on site, your team is trained on specimen cutting and pendulum selection, and support continues for the life of the instrument.

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What Plastic Film Tear Testing Measures

Plastic film and sheeting usually fail by tearing once a nick or a perforation starts, and tear resistance is the property that decides how far the tear runs. Consistent tear data helps predict how a film performs in packaging, in protective layers and in technical applications where durability matters.

The Elmendorf method uses a falling pendulum to continue a tear that a slit has started, and the instrument reports the force needed. Because the specimen size and the slit are fixed, results can be compared between batches, suppliers and laboratories.

Standards for Plastic Film Tear Testing

ASTM D1922 covers propagation tear resistance of plastic film and thin sheeting by the pendulum method, and ISO 6383-2 covers the Elmendorf method for plastics film and sheeting. JIS K 7128-2 is the Japanese Elmendorf method for film and sheeting. The same instruments also run ASTM D1424 for fabrics and ASTM D689 for paper, so one tester can serve film, textile and paper laboratories.

ISO 6383-1 describes the trouser tear method for plastic film and sheeting, which is a separate test from the Elmendorf method in ISO 6383-2, so the part number in a specification tells you which test to run.

What Affects Tear Results

The specimen comes first. A consistent shape and size is what makes a result repeatable, which is why both NextGen testers cut the specimen automatically. The clamping matters next: pneumatic clamping holds every specimen with the same force and starts each test the same way. The pendulum has to suit the material, since lighter films call for the lower ranges and heavier or tougher sheet for the higher ones, from 16 N up to 128 N.

Statistics help read the result: the GenElm series calculates the mean, minimum, maximum, standard deviation and coefficient of variation across the specimens tested.

Tear Testing Equipment from NextGen

The GenElm series is available in 64 N and 128 N models, with interchangeable pendulums from 16 N to 128 N, a touch screen, pneumatic clamping and automatic cutting. The High-Energy Elmendorf Tearing Tester covers 0 to 128 N for tougher materials, with automatic testing, result calculation and report printing. The GenElm is supplied with calibration documents.

The GenElm sends results to a PC or printer over RS232, and the high-energy tester selects N, cN, gf or lbf and converts between them automatically, with transfer software for analysis on the computer.

For Laboratories

One partner to equip your complete plastics laboratory

Tear testing is one station of a plastics laboratory. NextGen equips the rest of it too, from tensile and flexural testing to impact, melt flow, HDT and Vicat systems, and stays responsible for it after delivery.

  • Equipment, fixtures and software
  • Installation, training, calibration
  • Lifetime technical support

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FAQs

A falling pendulum continues a tear that a slit has started in a clamped specimen, which is the pendulum method of the Elmendorf test. The GenElm series clamps the specimen pneumatically and releases the pendulum automatically, so the start of each test is uniform, and it calculates and records results without manual processing.

Request a quote for the pendulum range your films need.

The 64 N model has pendulums of 16, 32 and 64 N and suits packaging films, textiles and paper products. The 128 N model adds a 128 N pendulum for tougher or more technical materials. The High-Energy Elmendorf also covers up to 128 N. All of them measure with an accuracy of ±0.2% of full scale.

ASTM D1922 covers propagation tear resistance of plastic film and thin sheeting, and ISO 6383-2 covers the Elmendorf method for plastics film and sheeting. The GenElm series also supports JIS K 7128-2 and NF T54 141 for film and sheeting, ASTM D1424 for fabrics and ASTM D689 for paper.

Plastic film and sheeting, and also paper, fabrics, nonwoven textiles, thin foils, electrical tape and metal foil. The GenElm clamps the specimen with a 7.0 mm gap, makes a 20 mm slit and tears it over 43 mm, and an automatic cutter prepares specimens with a consistent shape and size for repeatable results.

The GenElm series calculates the mean, minimum, maximum, standard deviation and coefficient of variation on the device. The high-energy tester lets you select N, cN, gf or lbf and converts automatically. The GenElm sends results to a PC or printer over RS232 and is supplied with inspection and calibration documents, and the high-energy tester prints reports and has transfer software for the computer.