How do you choose the right peel angle for your peel test? It is simple, follow a previously published testing standard.Selecting the Proper Angle for Your Peel Test Many organizations release guidelines to follow for testing materials, such as ASTM, ISO and others. Every standard asking for a peel test will specify a peel angle. They do this because a consistent peel angle is essential to the repeatability of the test.
How do the testing standards authors choose a peel angle? Authors attempt to create a peel test angle which is representative of what the product encounters in real life. For example, ASTM F88 is a common testing standard for pouched medical packaging and food packaging. It calls for a T-peel, which is 180 degrees, because that is the angle at which the doctor or cook pulls the top and bottom of the flexible package apart.
The most common peel angles are T-peel, 90 degree, and 180 degrees (where the flexible peel material is double-backed). Fixturing for 180 degree peels and T-peels are simple and inexpensive. 90 degree peels require a sliding peel table or rolling drum. These are more expensive. For both types of peel tests, you can use a basic 100 Series Electromechanical Universal Testing Machine. Or if you prefer a tower-based machine rather than an actuator-based one, test out our 220 Series.
The most important thing to remember for determining your peel angle is repeatability. Without replicated data, you will likely get much more scatter in your data which will make it difficult to optimize your design. Always use the exact same angle when testing your product to ensure repeatable results.