The resistance encountered by the penetrator blade as it is moved into the slot by a pivoting arm is measured by the machine.
[4] Materials are placed over a slot that extends across the instrument platform, and then the tester hits test.
Stiff materials offer greater resistance to the movement of the beam.
[5] There are three different test modes which can be applied to the material: single, double, and quadruple.
[citation needed] Restrictions on measuring the friction between the platform and the material limit the instrument's accuracy.