Device and method for assessing the machinability of laminates

1. A device for testing the machinability and/or the drillability of a laminate sample comprising (a) a laminate sample receiving assembly including a cup member having a mouth, and wherein the laminate sample is positioned in vertical alignment on the plane of the mouth of the cup member, said laminate sample receiving assembly capable of providing a laminate sample in a disposed position for testing, and (b) an indentation means for causing an indentation on at least one surface of the laminate sample, wherein the laminate sample is vertically disposed in the sample receiving assembly and perpendicularly disposed to the indentation means.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the indention means includes a rod member and a rod actuating means for actuating the rod means toward and away from the sample in a perpendicular direction in relation to the vertical plane of the surface of the sample, said rod member capable of providing a load against the laminate sample perpendicular to the vertical plane of the sample causing deformation of the sample.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the laminate sample receiving assembly and the indentation means are mounted on a base member so that the device is made portable.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein the rod member has a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the distal end presses against the sample; and wherein the proximal end is affixed to the rod actuating means.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the cup member is cylindrical in shape and has a cylindrical wall integral with a circular base forming an opened cup mouth circular in shape.

6. The device of claim 2 wherein the indentation means includes a U-shaped bracket member and a U-shaped channel member; and wherein the rod member is a threaded rod member and is threadably connected through a threaded hole in one arm of a U-shaped bracket member; and wherein the U-shaped bracket member is slidably mounted to the U-shaped channel member.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the distal end of the rod member which presses against the sample is hemi-sphere in shape.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the wherein the circular mouth of the cup member is from about 1 inch (2.54 cm) to about 1.5 inches (3.81 cm) in diameter.

9. A process for testing the machinability and/or the drillability of a film or laminate sample comprising the steps of (a) providing a laminate sample receiving assembly, said laminate sample receiving assembly capable of providing a laminate sample in a disposed position for testing,

(b) providing an indentation means having a punching rod assembly for causing an indentation on at least one surface of the laminate sample,

(c) providing a sample in the laminate sample receiving assembly,

(d) contacting the sample with the punching rod assembly such that an indentation is formed in the sample, and

(e) evaluating the indentation on the sample to determine the effects of indenting the sample.

10. The process of claim 9 wherein indentation produced on the sample is reproducible and of a size sufficient to be analyzed using visual observation means.

11. The process of claim 9 wherein the indentation on the sample is correlated to drillability characteristics of a like sample.

12. A method for assessing the machinability of a film or a laminate sample comprising the steps of:

(a) affixing a film or a laminate test sample to a sample receiving means to provide the sample in a disposed position to be punched with an indentation means,

(b) punching the sample with the indentation means to a create an indentation in the sample, said indentation means moving substantially perpendicular to the plane of the sample, said indentation moving a sufficient distance into the sample such that the indentation means provides a sufficient indentation but does not puncture the sample completely through the thickness of the sample, and

(c) visually measuring the indentation by comparing the indentation on the test sample to a standard sample before and after punching the test sample.