Introduce the EN388 test machine

The coop test assesses how well gloves protect against sharp object by counting the number of times a rotating blade moves back and forth over the fabric before it cuts through the glove sample.

A control sample material is tested both before and after testing the glove sample.

In each case, the sample is clamped in a holder, the aluminum foil enables the coop test machine to detect the moments of cook through by the blade gloves with higher levels of cook protection can blunt the blade during testing.

By comparing the results on a control sample material before and after testing the extent the blade is blunted can be estimated.

When the standard was updated in 2016 a maximum limit of 60 blade rotations was also introduced.

When the blade deteriorates only slightly a calculation correct for dulling of the blade during the test and the coop cut test performance level is rated 0 to 5. If the blade sharpness reduce by more than a factor of 3. It is mandatory to also assess gloves cut resistance using the ISO 13997 method. Most gloves achieving level 3 and above will need to be tested against the ISO test. The ISO 13997 cut resistance test more effectively assesses the level of cut resistance high cut protection gloves offer. The test sample is mounted on a mandrel like for the coupe test the aluminum foil enables the machine to detect the moment of cut through by the blade, the plastic film prevents false positive results when the glove material includes metallic yarns.

Once raised into place the cut resistance evaluator drives a straight edged blade across the glove sample until it cuts through and the distance moved by the blade until it is cut for twenty point two millimeters.

The test is run at least a further 19 times with different loads, each time cutting a new section of glove. Unlike the coupe cut test, the ISO 13997test does not suffer from blunting as each blade only passes once over the surface of the sample and is then replaced. The result are the plotted graphically and the graph is used to determine the force. That would be needed to cut the glove with a blade cutting distance of exactly 20 millimeters, it is this figure that determines the gloves cut performance level of A to F with F rated gloves providing the highest level of protection.

We recommend that this EN\ISO 13997 result is always selecting gloves medium or high cut risk environments.