Metal Stylus Test

The Metal Stylus Test is a machine designed by GMM R&D scientists in conjunction with our cookware and bakeware clients.

This machine consists of a changeable metal stylus of pre-fixed (and standardized) hardness, which rotates uniformly over the surface of the cookware.

The purpose of this machine was to remove the variability of the pen tips associated with the Tiger Paw test.

The pan is heated to 400° Fahrenheit (205° Celsius) with a hotplate, and is filled with a thin layer of cooking oil. To gauge coating performance, GMM measures the number of cycles it takes to penetrate the coating film to bare metal.

Please watch the video to see the Metal Stylus Machine in action.

GMM Metal Stylus Scratch Test

GMM Metal Stylus Scratch Test

Advantages Of This Test

  1. Very good test of scratch resistance at elevated temperature
  2. Mechanized, not subjective
  3. Fair proxy for “metal utensil” use

Disadvantages Of This Test

  1. Most pans will fail very quickly on this test
  2. Consumers aren’t generally aware of the Metal Stylus Test