The Comprehensive Abrasion Test is a universal test machine to test the coating abrasion resistance on beverage cans or flat materials. The reciprocating motion mimics in-the-field transportation abrasion damage of coatings equivalent to the Gavarti Associates “GV-CAT” system. The Comprehensive Abrasion Test is used in coating test laboratories for quality control work.

History Comprehensive Abrasion Test
Decades ago a small company out of the USA produced a machine to test the abrasion resistance of inks and coatings on aluminium beverage cans. The device simulates the motion of a truck or train during shipping and is used  for assessing the transit scuff resistance of printed cartons and book covers as well as cans.
The printed sheet is sandwiched between oblong blocks of polyurethane rubber. A plain or printed sheet of the same stock is placed in with it and then hydraulic rams push the blocks from the side in a wave motion to simulate transit vibration. At the end of the test, the print-to-print or the print-to-plain-paper can be examined for scuffing.
Production and service stopped
About 10 years ago the activities of the small company were ceased and the machine was no longer available. Neither were parts or service.

Why this Abrasion test?
Beverage cans often suffer from severe scuff and friction during transport. Typically foodstuff in damaged packaging is hard- if not impossible to sell to the consumer. A small scratch is enough to make the merchandise worthless. And it can be worse…

If the paint (or ink) does not survive the scuffing movements during transport and bare aluminium starts to scuff against bare aluminium a can may start to leak within minutes. Especially carbonated drinks will spray and spill over the entire consignment thus destroying more or less the a complete pallet.

The yearly costs of these damages are significant. Keeping in mind that more than 300 Billion cans are sold globally per annum.
Since the failure of the coating can have two causes testing has to be done at both paint makers end and at the side of the can maker / paint applicator.