Request a Sample
Evaluate the material on your own substrate and process before you commit to production. Tell us the application and we will confirm the sample format.
Timing confirmed at quotationRoll or die-cut sampleCourier or freightExport documentation
Sample policy
We supply a sample roll, a sheet or a die-cut first article depending on the material and the stage of your project. Sample and freight terms are confirmed when we review the request.
- Standard grades: a short roll or A4 sheet where available
- Die-cut parts: a first article from tooling or a laser-cut prototype
- Timing is confirmed once the material and the drawing are agreed, before anything is cut
- Shipping by courier or consolidated with a larger shipment
- Test data and TDS supplied with the sample where available
Make the sample useful
A sample only predicts production behaviour if you apply it the same way. Clean the substrate, use the same pressure and dwell time, and test after the same interval you use on the line.
Testing in a tropical climate? Ask for heat-aged and humidity-aged data for the candidate grade, or plan an aging test alongside the initial peel check.
Sample request
Fields marked * are required.
Sample policy
Four sample formats and what each one proves
A sample is a test instrument. Picking the wrong format costs a cycle, so choose the one that answers the question you actually have.
The format decides what a sample can tell you. A short roll proves adhesion on your substrate; a die-cut first article proves the part, the tolerance and how it presents to the line. Both are useful, and they are not the same test.
Sample and freight terms are confirmed when we review the request, along with the timing once the material and drawing are agreed. Nothing is cut before that.
| Format | What it proves | Right when | What arrives with it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short roll of a stock grade | Adhesion and unwind on your own substrate, in your own conditions | Screening two or three candidate materials | TDS for the grade where it exists |
| A4 or die-cut sheet set | Handling, thickness and lay-down without a full roll on the bench | A construction check before tooling | The construction as supplied, with lot reference |
| Laser or CNC prototype part | The shape and the fit, with no hard tooling made yet | Checking a drawing before committing to a die | Dimensional notes for the prototype route |
| Die-cut first article | The part from the production route, measured against the drawing | Before a purchase order, or as the record a QA file needs | First-article inspection report against the drawing |
| Side-by-side comparison set | Which construction wins on your joint, under your test | When two grades are both plausible | The reason each candidate was chosen and what would rule it out |
Make the sample mean something
- Clean both surfaces the way production will, and say in the test record what you used to clean them
- Apply with the same force and dwell your line uses — hand pressure is not a press
- Wait the same interval before testing that your process allows before the part is loaded
- Test one sample immediately and keep one for aged conditions, so you see the drift rather than only the start value
- Record the failure mode, not only the load at failure: cohesive, adhesive or substrate peel mean different things
- Keep the liner and core labels with the test pieces; they are the only link back to the batch
Before dispatch
What we confirm before a sample ships
| Item | When it is settled | Why it cannot be settled earlier |
|---|---|---|
| Sample cost and freight | At review, in writing, before dispatch | A die-cut sample uses tooling or machine time; a stock roll does not |
| Timing | Once the material and the drawing are agreed | A construction that must be laminated is not the same job as picking a roll from stock |
| Format and quantity | With the test plan you intend to run | Three pieces for a fit check and thirty for a line trial are different orders |
| Test data supplied | With the sample where the grade has data | Data belongs to the exact grade and construction, not to the family name |
| Courier route and paperwork | When the destination is known | Some markets clear a sample parcel only with a commercial invoice and a value statement |
FAQ
Questions about samples
Are samples free?
It depends on what the sample is. A short roll from stock is treated differently from a die-cut first article that consumes tooling time and machine setup. Both are confirmed in writing before anything is cut or dispatched, so there is no surprise on the invoice.
Can I get several grades to compare?
Yes. Send the shortlist or describe the joint, and we can supply candidates side by side with the reason each was picked and what would rule it out. A comparison is only worth running if the candidates are named.
Will the sample behave like production?
A sample from the same construction and the same converting route will, which is why the first article is taken from the production route rather than a hand-cut approximation. Where that is not possible — a laser prototype before a die is made — we say which step the sample came from.
Can you send aged or humidity test data with the sample?
Where the grade has it, yes. For tropical service, ask for heat-aged and humidity-aged figures or plan your own aging alongside the initial peel check; a room-temperature value taken once is the least informative number on a datasheet.
Can you ship to my courier account?
Usually. Send the account number with the address and we will quote the freight that way. Where consolidation with a larger shipment is cheaper, we will say so instead of sending a parcel.
What should the sample request include?
The application and both substrates, the construction or grade you have in mind, the format you want, the destination and the test you plan to run. Volume matters too: it changes whether a first article or a prototype route makes sense.
Where the sample fits in the sequence
Need several grades to compare?
Tell us the shortlist and the test you plan to run. We can supply samples side by side.