Procedures
6.1 Perform the test in the testing atmosphere specified in T 402.
6.2 If the test specimen width is not known to 0.1 mm (nominally 0.004 in.) (i.e., if a previously evaluated
precision cutter is not used), determine width and parallelism using magnifier and scale. Lack of parallelism is indicated
by a difference in width of the two ends of the specimen.
6.3 The testing machine shall be calibrated and adjusted as described in Appendixes A.1 and A.2.
6.4 Set the clamps to an initial test span (distance between line contacts) of 180 ± 5 mm (nominally 7.0 in.).
Determine and always reset this distance within ± 0.5 mm (nominally 0.02 in.). (See Appendix A.1.3.)
6.5 Set the controls for rate of separation of the jaws to 25 ± 5 mm/min (nominally 1.0 in./min). (See 11.3.)
In cases where the time required to break a single strip exceeds 30 s, a more rapid rate of jaw separation shall be used,
such that the time to break a single strip will be between 15 and 30 s. In such cases, the speed of the instrument must be
reported, along with the test data.