Stone Chip Resistance Tester for SAE J400 and ISO 20567-1
The KINGPO Stone Chip Resistance Tester is a pneumatic impact test system for evaluating the resistance of automotive paints and protective coatings to damage caused by gravel or other impact media. The system supports different test arrangements for SAE J400 gravel-impact testing and ISO 20567-1 multi-impact testing, with adjustable air pressure, test duration, projectile feed rate and specimen orientation.
- Product Type: Stone Chip Resistance Tester / Gravelometer
- Primary Use: Evaluation of coating resistance to gravel and multi-impact stone-chip damage
- Primary Standards: SAE J400, ISO 20567-1
- Related Method: ASTM D3170/D3170M
- Pressure Range: 0–0.6 MPa, adjustable
- Test Time: 5–10 s, adjustable
- Impact Media: Gravel and chilled-iron grit, depending on test method
- Media Feeding: Automatic, adjustable feed rate
- Specimen Capacity: Four small-specimen positions; larger parts can be accommodated after removing the small-specimen fixture
- Typical Users: Automotive OEMs, paint and coating laboratories, component suppliers and third-party testing organizations
Stone Chip Resistance Tester
Product Overview
Stone chips on vehicle surfaces are caused by gravel and other road debris striking painted or coated components at speed. Even relatively small impacts can produce coating detachment, expose the substrate or create damage that later becomes a starting point for corrosion.
The Stone Chip Resistance Tester reproduces this type of damage under controlled laboratory conditions by accelerating specified impact media toward a coated specimen using compressed air. Test pressure, impact medium, acceleration tube, specimen angle and exposure conditions are selected according to the applicable test method.
SAE J400 evaluates the resistance of automotive surface coatings to chipping caused by gravel impact, while ISO 20567-1 uses chilled-iron grit to simulate repeated small-stone impacts on automobile finishes and other coatings.
Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Pressure Range | 0–0.6 MPa, adjustable |
| Specified Working Points | Includes 0.2 MPa and 0.483 ± 0.021 MPa |
| Test Time | 5–10 s, adjustable |
| SAE J400 Acceleration Tube ID | 52.6 ± 0.75 mm |
| Alternative / ISO-Type Tube ID | 30 ± 0.2 mm |
| SAE Test Angles | 90° and 45° |
| Alternative Test Angles | 90° and 54° |
| Gravel Size | 9.5–15.8 mm |
| Chilled-Iron Grit Size | 3.55–5 mm |
| Media Feeding | Automatic |
| Feed Rate | Adjustable |
| Small-Specimen Positions | 4 |
| Small-Specimen Capacity | Up to 250 × 250 × 50 mm |
| Large-Sample Arrangement | Small-specimen fixture can be removed |
| Control | Touchscreen |
| Equipment Structure | Open configuration with tester and specimen area separated |
| Protection | Leakage protection and load short-circuit protection |
The supplied document contains conflicting 220 V and 380 V power information. The final electrical configuration should therefore be confirmed according to the selected compressor and destination-country supply before quotation.
SAE J400 and ISO 20567-1 Test Configurations
Although both methods evaluate stone-chip resistance, their test arrangements are not identical.
| Item | SAE J400 | ISO-Type Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Impact Media | Gravel | Chilled-iron grit |
| Media Size | 9.5–15.8 mm | 3.55–5 mm |
| Tube ID | 52.6 ± 0.75 mm | 30 ± 0.2 mm |
| Test Angles | 90° / 45° | 90° / 54° |
SAE J400 Gravel Impact Testing
SAE J400 is a laboratory procedure for evaluating the resistance of surface coatings to chipping by gravel impact. The method is intended primarily for automotive coatings on flat panels, although other finished parts and materials may also be evaluated when the limitations of the method are considered.
The supplied equipment specification identifies a working pressure of 0.483 ± 0.021 MPa within the available pressure range.
ISO 20567-1 Multi-Impact Testing
ISO 20567-1:2017 specifies multiple methods for evaluating the resistance of automobile finishes and other coatings to chilled-iron grit projected onto the test surface to simulate small-stone impact.
Because projectile material, tube geometry, pressure and specimen position vary between test methods, the required standard and edition should be confirmed before quotation.
What the Stone Chip Test Evaluates
The test is intended to evaluate how well a paint or coating system resists localized impact damage.
- Coating chips or flaking after impact
- Number and distribution of damaged areas
- Exposed substrate
- Coating detachment around impact points
- Relative stone-chip resistance between coating systems
The equipment produces the controlled impact exposure. Final coating assessment should be carried out according to the rating or evaluation procedure required by the selected standard.
This is different from abrasion testing, scratch testing or single-impact mechanical testing. The test is specifically intended to reproduce repeated damage caused by stones or other projectiles striking the coating surface.
Test Principle
The tester uses compressed air to accelerate a controlled quantity of impact media toward the coated specimen.
Select the acceleration tube and specimen arrangement for the required test method.
Load the specified gravel or chilled-iron grit into the feeding system.
Install the coated panel or finished component at the required impact angle.
Set the air pressure, test duration and media feed rate.
Start the automatic feeding system.
Compressed air accelerates the impact media through the tube toward the specimen.
Remove and evaluate the specimen using the rating procedure specified by the applicable standard.
Test Media and Pneumatic Delivery
The impact medium is a critical part of the selected stone-chip procedure.
Gravel
Larger gravel media are used for the SAE-type gravel impact configuration. The supplied equipment specification specifies 9.5–15.8 mm gravel.
Chilled-Iron Grit
The multi-impact configuration uses smaller 3.55–5 mm chilled-iron grit. ISO 20567-1 uses chilled-iron grit to reproduce repeated small-stone impact.
Sample Mounting and Impact Angle
Different automotive coating methods require different relationships between the acceleration tube and the test surface.
- 90° impact
- 45° SAE-type arrangement
- 54° alternative arrangement
For laboratory panels, the standard small-specimen fixture provides four specimen positions and accommodates samples up to 250 × 250 × 50 mm.
For larger finished components, the small-specimen fixture can be removed. The suitability of a finished part should be confirmed according to its dimensions, geometry and applicable test method.
Typical Automotive Applications
The Stone Chip Resistance Tester supports coating development, component validation and quality-control testing for automotive painted and coated surfaces.
|
Body & Panel Coatings
Automotive body paint systems
Coated steel and aluminium panels
Rocker-panel and wheel-arch coatings
|
Exterior Components
Bumper coatings
Exterior plastic trim
Plated or coated automotive components
|
R&D & OEM Validation
Coating development panels
OEM paint-system qualification specimens
Comparative coating performance testing
|
Compliance & Regulatory Assurance
The Stone Chip Resistance Tester is designed for coating chip-resistance testing according to SAE J400, ISO 20567-1 and ASTM D3170, with additional configurations for selected automotive OEM test methods. The system provides adjustable pressure, impact media, acceleration tubes and specimen angles to match different test procedures.
Because test media, pressure, tube dimensions and specimen arrangement can vary by standard and revision, the applicable method and edition should be confirmed before quotation to ensure the correct test configuration.
Technical Inquiry & Expert Support
To confirm the appropriate configuration for your stone-chip test, please provide the applicable standard, specimen details and required test method with your inquiry.
|
Standard & Test Method
Specify SAE J400, ISO 20567-1,
ASTM D3170 or the applicable automotive OEM method and revision. |
Specimen Information
Provide the sample type, dimensions and whether the test will be performed on
flat panels or finished automotive components. |
|
Impact Configuration
Confirm the required impact media, test angle and whether
gravel or chilled-iron grit testing is required. Tube and media configurations vary by test method. |
Laboratory Utilities
Advise the available compressed-air supply and local electrical supply
so the compressor and pneumatic configuration can be confirmed before quotation. |
Providing the test method and specimen information helps us confirm the correct acceleration tube, impact media, fixture and pneumatic configuration before quotation.
Configuration Notes for Different Test Methods
Pressure range alone does not define the correct stone-chip test configuration.
SAE, ISO and automotive OEM methods may differ in impact media, pneumatic settings, specimen arrangement and evaluation procedures.
| Impact Media | Impact medium · Projectile size · Media quantity |
| Test Configuration | Acceleration tube dimensions · Compressed-air pressure · Impact angle |
| Specimen & Evaluation | Specimen position · Exposure time · Post-test evaluation procedure |
Laboratories testing to SAE J400, ISO 20567-1 or automotive OEM methods may require different equipment configurations. KINGPO can assist with selecting the appropriate setup based on the specified test method and revision.
Stone Chip Resistance Tester
FAQ
Related Products
Related News
KingPo Eurofins IEC 60335 Test Equipment Delivered to Finland Espoo, Finland — Jun 2023 —A complete set of high-precision IEC 60335 […]
KingPo HCT IEC 60335 Test Equipment Delivered to Korea Seoul, Korea — Jun 2021 — High-precision KingPo HCT IEC 60335 test […]
KingPo Delivers IEC 60335 Test Equipment to Intertek Hong Kong and Korea Hong Kong & Seoul, March 2023 — KingPo […]
KingPo UL Vietnam IEC 60335 Test Equipment Delivered for IEC 62368-1 Compliance Hai Duong Province, Vietnam — KingPo is […]
Essential equipment for residual voltage testing under IEC 60601-1, IEC 60335-1, IEC 61010-1, IEC 62368-1 and similar safety standards. 1. […]
As service robots (Service Robots) are increasingly deployed in commercial, public, and healthcare environments, human-robot interaction safety, mobility-related hazards, and […]
