Volvo STD 1026-5272 Gloss - Paint and Varnish

The standard “Volvo STD 1026-5272 Gloss - Paint and varnish” developed by the Volvo car company describes three test methods for measuring the specular gloss of paint films with 20 degree, 60 degree and 85 degree geometry:

• The 60 degree geometry method can be applied to all paint films, but for very high gloss paints or paints that are close to a matte gloss, the 20 degree or 85 degree geometry method may be more appropriate.
• The 20 degree geometry method is designed to provide better discrimination of high gloss paints, i.e. those with a 70 degree gloss higher than 60 units.
• The 85 degree geometry method is designed to provide better discrimination of low gloss paints, i.e. those with a 30 degree gloss of less than 60 units.

Gloss measurements with these methods are only meaningful for films on surfaces with good planarity, as any curvature or local irregularity of the substrate can seriously affect the test result. Within the Volvo Group, the measurement method is also used on multi-coloured types of paint films, such as metallic paints.

In these tests, test panels in accordance with the STD 1021,5211 standard are used with paint material applied and dried in accordance with the requirements. Again, the gloss meter used in these tests should consist of a light source and a lens that directs a light beam parallel or slightly converging to the tested surface, and a receiver body containing a lens, field stop and photoelectric cell to receive the required reflected light cone.

In terms of geometric requirements, the axis of the incident beam should be perpendicular to the tested surface at approximately 20 degrees plus/minus 0,1, 60 degrees plus/minus 0,1, or 85 degrees plus/minus 0,1, respectively. The receiver axis should coincide with the mirror image of the incident beam axis within 22,1 degrees plus/minus 0,1. At the test panel position, the image of the source should be formed at the center of the receiver field stop (receiver window) using polished black glass or other front surface mirror. The width of the illuminated area of ​​the test panel should be at least 10 mm.

The angle between the receiver beam axis and the perpendicular should be equal to the corresponding angle of the incident beam with the same tolerance. The dimensions and tolerances of the sources and receivers should be as specified in the tables given in the standard. The angular dimensions of the receiver field stops should be measured from the receiver lenses. For generalized drawings of the dimensions, the figures given in the standard shall be followed. The tolerances should be chosen so that the errors in the source and receiver apertures do not produce an indication error of more than 100 brightness unit at any point on the 1-unit scales.

Filtering at the receiver must be done by following the formula given in the filter transmittance standard. Shading of the rays within the field angles specified in the geometric conditions is not done. The receiver measuring device gives an indication proportional to the luminous flux passing through the receiver area stopping within 1 percent of the full-scale reading.

Working standards may be ceramic tile, vitreous enamel, opaque glass or other uniform gloss materials, but must have good flatness and be calibrated against a primary standard for a specified area and illumination direction. These standards shall be checked periodically against the primary standards. Working standards shall be uniform and stable and shall be calibrated by technically competent organizations. At least two standards at different gloss levels shall be available for each gloss meter geometry (20 degrees, 60 degrees and 85 degrees).

When sampling liquid paints, a representative sample of the product to be tested (or each product in the case of a multi-layer system) is taken, as described in ISO 1512. Each sample is examined and prepared for testing, as described in ISO 1513.

When sampling coated substrates, a planar area of ​​the coated substrate of at least 150 mm x 100 mm dimensions shall be taken, wherever possible. Gloss measurements using the method specified in this standard are only meaningful when performed on surfaces with good planarity, any curvature or local irregularity of the substrate will affect the test results.

Among the numerous tests, measurements, analyses and evaluations our organization has carried out for businesses in various sectors, it also provides testing services defined in the “Volvo STD 1026-5272 Gloss - Paint and varnish” standard with its trained and expert staff and advanced technological equipment.