NIST and industry partners create new lab test to provide quantitative data on the scratch and damage resistance of automobile polymer clearcoat layers. Compare this with the 2 common methods currently used that provide only qualitative assessments: one is a rotating wheel of brushes to simulate car wash damage, and the other is a robotic ‘finger” moving back and forth to mimic damage from human contact and abrasive surfaces. Both of these “methods only assess clearcoat performance based on appearance, a qualitative measure where the results vary from test to test, and they don’t provide the quantitative data that scientifically helps us understand what happens to auto finishes in real life.”
https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2018/09/improve-auto-coatings-new-tests-do-more-scratch-surface
-Danny Schaeffler, www.EQSgroup.com and www.Learning4M.com