The Handle-o-Meter is a testing machine developed by Johnson & Johnson and now manufactured by Thwing-Albert that measures the "handle" of sheeted materials: a combination of its surface friction and flexibility. Originally, it was used to test the durability and flexibility of toilet paper and paper towels.[1] It is also used to measure the stiffness of packaging film.[2]
The test sample is placed over an adjustable slot. The resistance encountered by the penetrator blade as it is moved into the slot by a pivoting arm is measured by the machine.[3]
The data collected when such nonwovens, tissues, toweling, film and textiles are tested has been shown to correlate well with the actual performance of these specific material's performance as a finished product.[4]
Materials are placed over a slot that extends across the instrument platform, and then the tester hits test. A beam then protrudes through the slot and a strain gauge measures the force that the material exerts on the beam. Stiff materials offer greater resistance to the movement of the beam.[3] Machine direction and transverse stiffness are measured separately.[5]
There are three different test modes which can be applied to the material: single, double, and quadruple. The average is automatically calculated for double or quadruple tests.[citation needed]
Restrictions on measuring the friction between the platform and the material limit the instrument's accuracy.[6]
