Overview
EN ISO 17076-1:2020 - Leather: Determination of abrasion resistance - Part 1: Taber® method specifies a standardized laboratory method for measuring the abrasion resistance of leather using a Taber® apparatus. Published by CEN/ISO in 2020 (superseding the 2012 edition), the standard defines apparatus, sample preparation, conditioning, wheel preparation, test procedure and reporting requirements to produce reproducible abrasion data for leather materials.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Test principle: A circular leather specimen is rotated while two abrasive wheels press and rub against its surface; damage and any colour change are assessed.
- Apparatus: Motor-driven horizontal platform rotating at (60 ± 5) rpm, removable test-piece holder, pivoted arms with abrasive wheels positioned ~26.2 mm from the shaft, vacuum nozzle, revolution counter and wheel reconditioning tools.
- Abrasive wheels: Specified wheel series include tungsten carbide (“S”), rubber-based (“CS”) and silicon carbide (“H”). New wheel diameter max 51.7 mm, discard at min 44.0 mm. Wheel type and diameter must be reported.
- Loads: Default arm force is (2.5 ± 0.1) N; additional weights provide (4.9 ± 0.2) N or (9.8 ± 0.4) N per wheel. The chosen load is recorded in the test report.
- Specimens and conditioning: Cut three circular test pieces of (106 ± 1) mm diameter with a central hole; condition samples in a standard atmosphere per ISO 2419.
- Preparation & reconditioning: Procedures for preparing rubber, tungsten carbide and silicon carbide wheels are defined (including diamond re-facing for H‑series and brushing for S‑series). Permissible wheel unbalance referenced to ISO 6103.
- Assessment & reporting: Note physical damage and colour change (use ISO 105-A02 grey scale). Report shall include wheel type, load, number of cycles, specimen conditioning and observed results.
Applications and users
- Who uses it: Leather manufacturers, independent test laboratories, quality assurance teams, R&D departments, product designers and procurement specialists.
- Practical uses:
- Routine quality-control testing of upholstery, footwear, garments and automotive leather.
- Comparative evaluation of tanning, finishes or protective coatings.
- Material specification and supplier verification for wear performance claims.
- Research into abrasion mechanisms and durability improvements.
Related standards
- ISO 2418 - Sampling location for leather
- ISO 2419 - Sample preparation and conditioning
- ISO 105-A02 - Grey scale for assessing colour change
- ISO 6103 - Permissible unbalances of grinding wheels
- EN ISO 17076 series - other parts addressing alternate abrasion methods
EN ISO 17076-1:2020 provides a reproducible Taber®-based test method to assess leather abrasion resistance for quality control, specification and research, enabling consistent comparisons across suppliers and products.
