The Elcometer 1720 Abrasion, Scrubbing and Washability Tester (part numbers K1720M204 and K1720M304) is a four-station bench machine for testing the abrasion, washability, brushability and resistance of materials including paint, lacquers, inks, coatings, leather, wood, plastics, printed material and fabrics. The question it answers is practical: how does a coating or surface hold up to repeated scrubbing, washing or rubbing before it wears through or fails, which is the basis of many paint and coating quality specifications.

A motor-driven carriage moves a tool back and forth across the sample under controlled conditions. Each of the four stations is separated by a water-tight gasket frame, so up to four dry or wet tests can run at once. Stroke length is user adjustable from 10 to 300mm, and speed runs from 10 to 65 cycles per minute, or can be set to the ISO standard of 37 cycles per minute. A rapid tool-change system and a wide range of tools cover flat and curved samples, and the machine is available with or without an integrated liquid dosing pump for wet testing. The body is anodised aluminium for durability and stability at the fastest stroke speeds, with a multi-lingual digital display. It measures 550 x 460 x 320mm and weighs 33kg.

The Elcometer 1720 - Abrasion, Scrubbing and Washability Tester can be used in accordance with standards including ASTM D2486, ASTM D4828, ISO 11998, EN 13523-11 and ISO 105-X12, among others. It is used in paint, coatings and materials laboratories. Supplied by BAMR, South Africa's authorised Elcometer distributor.