Melt Flow Testing Equipment for Plastics

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Melt Flow Testing Equipment for Plastics
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Melt flow rate tells a processor how a thermoplastic will behave in the extruder or the mold, and it is one of the most common checks on batch consistency and processability. NextGen supplies melt flow indexers that measure melt flow rate by mass and melt volume rate by volume, working to ASTM D1238 and ISO 1133.

The indexer controls the barrel temperature precisely, measures piston travel optically and cuts the extrudate automatically, so the operator loads the material and the instrument does the timing. Results are calculated and printed at the instrument. It is installed and calibrated on site, your team is trained on the method, and support continues for its life.

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What Melt Flow Testing Measures

Melt flow testing measures how a thermoplastic behaves when it is heated and forced through a narrow die under controlled conditions. The melt flow rate, MFR, is reported as the mass of polymer that flows out in 10 minutes, and the melt volume rate, MVR, as the volume. It is one of the fastest ways to compare batches of a polymer and to confirm that production material meets its specification.

The result describes viscous flow, which is why it is used for processability and consistency in injection molding, extrusion and other forming processes. It is used in production quality control, in testing stations and in research.

Standards for Melt Flow Testing

ASTM D1238 is the North American method for melt flow rates of thermoplastics, and ISO 1133 is the international one. ISO 1133 is published in parts: ISO 1133-1 covers melt mass-flow rate and melt volume-flow rate, and ISO 1133-2 sets requirements for materials sensitive to degradation. JIS K 7210 is the Japanese method, and EN ISO 1133 is the European one. Melt flow results are tied to the temperature and load of the method, so both are reported with every value.

What Affects Melt Flow Results

The barrel temperature and the load come first. A small change in either changes the flow, so the instrument has to hold the temperature steadily and apply a known load, which is the piston plus dead weights. Preheating time matters too, which is why the indexer sounds an alarm when the preset preheating time has elapsed. The die bore and length are fixed, 2.095 mm and 8 mm on the standard die, and the cut timing and the piston travel reading complete the measurement.

Melt Flow Testing Equipment from NextGen

The NextGen Melt Flow Indexer measures from 0.1 to 2000 g/10 min between 50 and 450°C, with loads from 325 g to 21,600 g. The oven is cast from red copper for temperature uniformity, the piston is nitrided and self-guiding, and an optical device measures displacement. An automatic cutter drives the timing, and a built-in microcomputer controller processes the data and prints the result on a micro printer. The operator loads the material and places the weights when the preheating alarm sounds.

For high melt flow rates the die plug blocks the outlet before the test, so the sample is not lost early. An encoder for MVR tests is optional, as are dies with 1.05 mm and 1.18 mm bores and the 10 kg and 21.6 kg loads. The standard configuration includes the piston, the standard die, five dead weights and a cleaning set with a go/no-go gauge.

For Laboratories

One partner to equip your complete plastics laboratory

Melt flow testing is one station of a plastics laboratory. NextGen equips the rest of it too, from tensile and flexural testing to impact, HDT and Vicat systems, and stays responsible for it after delivery.

  • Equipment, fixtures and software
  • Installation, training, calibration
  • Lifetime technical support

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FAQs

Report what your specification names. MFR is a mass result and MVR is a volume result, and both are covered by ASTM D1238 and ISO 1133. The indexer switches freely between the mass method and the volume method, and an optional encoder on the measuring rod records piston displacement for MVR tests.

Temperature runs from 50 to 450°C (122 to 842°F). Loads combine the 325 g piston with dead weights to give 1,200, 2,160, 3,800, 5,000, 10,000 and 21,600 g, and the 10 kg and 21.6 kg loads are optional. The measuring range is 0.1 to 2000 g/10 min.

Request a quote and we will confirm the weights and dies for your resin.

The standard die has a 2.095 mm bore and is 8 mm long, nitrided to at least 700 HV. Optional dies with 1.05 mm and 1.18 mm bores are available. A die plug on the side of the oven blocks the die outlet before the test begins, which prevents rapid sample loss on materials with high melt flow rates.

Temperature stability, piston load and cut timing. The barrel holds temperature within ±0.5°C over four hours, optical displacement measurement resolves piston travel to 0.003 mm, and timing resolves to 0.01 second while the automatic cutter cuts at set intervals. A preheating alarm tells the operator when to place the weights.

The melt flow indexer is designed for convenient cleaning, and a cleaning set comes with it: a barrel cleaning brush and rod, a die cleaning tool, a sample feeder and funnel, a scraper and a go/no-go gauge. A funnel-shaped mouth makes feeding straightforward, and a detachable die support plate reduces the risk of sample accumulation and jams.