DIN EN ISO 4674-1 Tear test (accredited)

Our test laboratory carries out tests according to DIN EN ISO 4674-1 in an accredited procedure for the determination of the tear resistance of rubber- or plastics-coated fabrics. The standard describes two standardized test methods for assessing a material's resistance to the propagation of an existing tear:

• Method A: Tongue tear method (double tear test)

• Method B: Trouser tear method (single tear test)

The test is used to evaluate the mechanical durability and damage resistance of flexible sheet materials under practical loading conditions.

The test is particularly applied to artificial leather, coated textiles, tarpaulin materials, membrane materials, technical fabrics, upholstery materials and flexible composite materials. It is especially relevant for applications containing seams, cut edges, perforations, eyelets or other construction-related stress concentration points from which tears may propagate.

Test procedure

For testing, standardized specimens with a defined cut are prepared and tested in a tensile testing machine under specified conditions. Depending on the method used, tear propagation occurs either between two tongues (Method A) or along a single leg (Method B). The force generated during the test is continuously recorded and evaluated to determine the tear resistance.

DIN EN ISO 4674-1 is frequently used in conjunction with other mechanical tests on coated fabrics, such as tensile strength testing according to DIN EN ISO 1421 or seam strength testing according to relevant product-specific standards. Unlike tensile tests, tear resistance testing specifically evaluates the behavior of materials that already contain a defect and provides important information on the serviceability, durability and safety of flexible sheet materials in practical applications.