There are many types of cut-resistant gloves on the market today. Are the cut-resistant gloves of good quality? Which ones are less likely to wear out? How to choose to avoid making the wrong choice?
Some cut-resistant gloves on the market have the word “CE” printed on the back. Could it be that “CE” means some kind of certificate of conformity?
The “CE” mark is a safety certification that is regarded as a passport for manufacturers to open and enter the European market. CE means CONFORMITE EUROPEENNE. It turns out that CE means European standard, so in addition to following the en standard, what other standards must the anti-cut gloves follow?
Safety gloves to prevent mechanical injuries mainly comply with the en standard EN 388, the latest version is 2016, and the American standard ANSI/ISEA 105, the latest version is also 2016.
In these two specifications, the expression form of the cut resistance level is different.
Cut-resistant gloves certified with EN standards will have a giant shield pattern with the words “EN 388” on them. Under the giant shield graphic are 4 or 6 digits of data and English letters. If it is 6-digit data and English letters, it indicates that the new EN 388:2016 specification is used. If it is 4 digits, it indicates that the old 2003 specification is used.
The first four digits have the same meaning, namely “wear resistance”, “cut resistance”, “resilience” and “puncture resistance”. The larger the data, the better the properties.
The fifth letter also indicates “cut resistance”, but the test standard is different from the test standard of the second number, and the method of indicating the cut resistance level is also different, which will be discussed in detail later.
The sixth English letter indicates “impact resistance”, which is also expressed in English letters. However, the sixth digit data will appear only if the impact resistance test is carried out. If it is not carried out, there will always be 5 digits of data.
Although the 2016 version of the en standard has been in use for more than four years, there are still many older versions of gloves on the market. Cut-resistant gloves that have been verified by new and old users are all up to standard, but it is more recommended to purchase cut-resistant gloves that use 6-digit numbers and letters to indicate the characteristics of the gloves.
With the advent of a large number of new materials, it is necessary to be able to classify them carefully to show the cut resistance of gloves. In the new grade classification method, A1-A3 is basically the same as the original 1-3, but A4-A9 is compared with the original 4-5. Six levels are used to divide the scope of the original two levels, which can be used to classify gloves. Cut resistance is classified into more detailed grades.
In the ANSI specification, not only the expression form of the level has been upgraded, but also the test standards. The original testing standard was ASTM F1790-05, which allowed testing on TDM-100 equipment (the test standard is called TDM TEST) or CPPT equipment (the test standard is called COUP TEST). Now the ASTM F2992-15 standard is used, and only TDM is allowed to be used. TEST conducts testing.
So what is the difference between TDM TEST and COUP TEST?
The COUP TEST uses a circular blade with a pressure of 5 Copernicus to rotate and cut on the glove material, while the TDM TEST uses a cutter head to press the glove material at different pressures and reciprocate at a speed of 2.5 mm/s. laser cutting
Although the new en standard EN 388 requires that two test standards, COUP TEST and TDM TEST, can be used, under COUP TEST, if it is a material that is resistant to laser cutting with excellent performance, the circular blade is likely to become dull. If the laser cuts After 60 turns, if the cutter head is calculated to be blunt, TDM TEST is mandatory.
It should be noted that if this high-performance anti-laser cutting glove carries out TDM TEST, then the second digit of the verification pattern can be written with an “X”, and then the cut resistance is only represented by the fifth digit of the letter. .
If it is not a cut-resistant glove with excellent performance, the material of the glove is unlikely to blunt the cutter head of the COUP TEST. In this case, the TDM TEST may not be performed, and an “X” is placed on the fifth digit of the verification pattern to indicate it.
For non-cut-resistant glove raw materials with excellent performance, TDM TEST and impact resistance testing have not been carried out. For the raw materials of cut-resistant gloves with excellent performance, TDM test has been carried out, but COUP test and impact resistance test have not been carried out.
