PCE Instruments PCE-MFI 400 Melt Flow Meter
Product Information:
This product is a system with a touch display and various components for cutting and measuring materials. It has technical specifications such as an LCD touch display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels and support for 16000 colors. The dimensions of the product are approximately 500 x 320 x 500 mm and it weighs around 15 kg. It operates on a power supply of 90-264 V AC, 50-60 Hz, and consumes about 0.6 kVA. The delivery contents include components like a load piston, a heating crucible, a cutter, and the touch display.
Product Usage Instructions:
- Safety Information: Before using the product, please refer to the safety notes provided in the user manual.
- System Description: The system consists of various components such as the load piston, heating crucible, cutter, and touch display. These components are used for cutting and measuring materials.
- Start Screen: The start screen of the touch display provides different parameters for operation.
- Parameter Settings: The touch display allows you to manually cut the molten plastic strand or set a pre-defined temperature for heating the crucible. Pressing the appropriate buttons on the touch display will start or stop the automatic cutting process of the extruded plastic strand.
- Cutting Time: The touch display shows the pre-set time for automatically cutting the extruded plastic strand.
- Cycle: After starting the automatic cutting process, the cutter will rotate and cut the extruded plastic strand.
- Measurement Profiles: The touch display provides options for selecting and editing different measurement profiles.
These profiles include information such as material type, temperature, and weight. - Profile Selection and Editing: Using the touch display, you can select and edit the pre-defined measurement profiles. Please note that the provided text extract from the user manual is not complete, so there might be additional information and instructions that are not included in this response. For a comprehensive understanding of the product and its usage, please refer to the complete user manual.
Safety notes
Please read this manual carefully and completely before you use the device for the first time. The device may only be used by qualified personnel and repaired by PCE Instruments personnel. Damage or injuries caused by non-observance of the manual are excluded from our liability and not covered by our warranty.
- The device must only be used as described in this instruction manual. If used otherwise, this can cause dangerous situations for the user and damage to the meter.
- The instrument may only be used if the environmental conditions (temperature, relative humidity, …) are within the ranges stated in the technical specifications. Do not expose the device to extreme temperatures, direct sunlight, extreme humidity or moisture.
- Do not expose the device to shocks or strong vibrations.
- The case should only be opened by qualified PCE Instruments personnel.
- Never use the instrument when your hands are wet.
- You must not make any technical changes to the device.
- The appliance should only be cleaned with a damp cloth. Use only pH-neutral cleaner, no abrasives or solvents.
- The device must only be used with accessories from PCE Instruments or equivalent.
- Before each use, inspect the case for visible damage. If any damage is visible, do not use the device.
- Do not use the instrument in explosive atmospheres.
- The measurement range as stated in the specifications must not be exceeded under any circumstances.
- Non-observance of the safety notes can cause damage to the device and injuries to the user.
We do not assume liability for printing errors or any other mistakes in this manual.
We expressly point to our general guarantee terms which can be found in our general terms of business.
If you have any questions please contact PCE Instruments. The contact details can be found at the end of this manual.
Safety symbols
Safety-related instructions the non-observance of which can cause damage to the device or personal injury carry a safety symbol.
Specifications
Technical specifications
| Measurement range | |
| Melting rate | 0.1…. 400.0 g / 10 min |
| Temperature | 120 … 400 °C / 248 … 752 °F |
| Measuring accuracy temperature | ±0.2 °C/ 0.36 °F |
| Resolution | 0.1 °C / 0.18 °F |
| Test load | 0.325…. 21.6 kg |
| Test piston Ø | 9.48 mm |
| Capillary Ø | 2.095 mm |
| Standards | ISO1133-1997, ASTM 1238-04C, GB / T3682-2000 |
| Display | |
| Type | 7″ LCD touch display |
| Resolution | 800 x 480 pixels |
| Colour depth | 16,000 colours |
| Dimensions (without test load) | 500 x 320 x 500 mm / 19.7 x 12.6 x 19.7 in |
| Weight (without test load) | approx. 15 kg / 33 lbs |
| Power supply | 90 … 264V AC |
| Power consumption (at full load) | approx. 0.6 kVA |
Delivery contents
- 1 x melt flow meter PCE-MFI 400
- 1 x capillary Ø2.095 mm
- 1 x weight set consisting of:
- 1 x 325 g (load piston)
- 1 x 875 g
- 1 x 960 g
- 1 x 1200 g
- 1 x 1640 g
- 1 x 2500 g
- 1 x 4100 g
- 2 x 5000 g
- 1 x cold-device cable
- 1 x funnel
- 1 x cleaning rod
- 1 x tamping rod
- 1 x set of cleaning patches
- 1 x calibration certificate
- 1 x user manual
System description
Device
| 1 Test load | 4 Heating barrel |
| 2 Load piston | 5 Blade |
| 3 Accessory retainer | 6 7“ touch display |
Start screen
Menu bar
Start: displays the start screen with the set parameters, heating barrel temperature, cutting time cycle and the set weight.
Profiles: allows the selection of standard stored material profiles. Additionally, profiles for new materials can be stored.
Config: Changes of basic settings of the device such as display brightness, time until automatic deactivation of the heater when the device is not in use, etc.
Parameters
- chosen profile: shows what material profile has been selected in the menu „Profiles“.
- Temperature: displays the set/actual temperature; as soon as temperature stability is detected (min. 10 minutes after reaching the set point), the actual value display turns green; only then the automatic cutting function is enabled.
Note: manual cutting of the melted plastic strand from the extrusion tool is possible via the
key at any time. - Heating: via the keys
or
, the heating barrel can be heated to the the pre-set temperature. - Start/Stop and Reset: via the keys
or 
the automatic cutting process of the extruded plastic strand can be started or stopped. The 
key immediately stops the automatic cutting process and resets the cycle counter to “0“. - Note: as soon as the key is pressed, the blade rotates once in order to remove already extruded plastics which must not be included in the calculation of the melt index.
- Cutting Time: shows the pre-set time during which the extruded plastic strand is automatically cut.
- Cycle: after starting the automatic cutting process via the key, this counter will be increased by “1“ when the cutting time has passed so that the melt index can be calculated later.
- Manual cutting: the blade rotates once when the key is pressed.
- Weight: shows what load weight must be placed on the load piston to test the selected material
Profiles
Overview
Tabular overview of pre-set material profiles for melt index testing. The following profiles are pre-stored:
| ID | Material | Temperature | Weight |
| 1 | PS | 200 °C | 5000 g |
| 2 | PE | 190 °C | 2160 g |
| 3 | PE | 190 °C | 325 g |
| 4 | PE | 190 °C | 21600 g |
| 5 | PE | 190 °C | 5000 g |
| 6 | PP | 230 °C | 2160 g |
| 7 | ABS | 220 °C | 10000 g |
| 8 | PS-1 | 220 °C | 5000 g |
| 9 | E/VAC | 150 °C | 2160 g |
| 10 | E/VAC | 190 °C | 2160 g |
| 11 | E/VAC | 125 °C | 325 g |
| 12 | SAN | 220 °C | 10000 g |
| 13 | ASA ACS AE | 220 °C | 10000 g |
| 14 | PC | 300 °C | 1200 g |
| 15 | PMMA | 230 °C | 3800 g |
| 16 | PB | 190 °C | 2160 g |
| 17 | POM | 190 °C | 2160 g |
| 18 | MABS | 220 °C | 10000 g |
Profile selection and editing
As soon as a profile is highlighted in the tabular overview by touching the screen and the 
key has been pressed, the selected profile is marked as “active” and is displayed in the view shown above. In this view, the default profile can also be edited or deleted by activating the corresponding input fields (in this example “PPE”, “230 °C”, “2160 g”) by touching the screen or by pressing the
key. For editing, an on-screen keyboard appears. This can be used to make entries.
When a new profile is to be created, the next free “ID” (19 by default) is entered by pressing the button below , using the on-screen keyboard. Afterwards, the profile name, the heating temperature and the load weight should be entered to save the data to the internal database by pressing the
key
Settings
Language
Use the drop-down menu to change the display language. To do this, touch the screen to open the drop-down menu and select the language by pressing it. The setting is applied immediately.
You can select either English or German.
Key sound
By pressing the or key, the acoustic signal that can be heard when touching the display can be activated or deactivated.
Display brightness
The brightness of the display backlight can be changed via the 
keys. The possible range is 0 % to 100 %.
Automatic power off
For safety reasons, an internal timer is started when the heater is switched on, which automatically deactivates the heater once the set time has elapsed, provided the display is not touched within this time. The setting between 1 h and 12 h can be made via the keys
Warranty
You can read our warranty terms in our General Business Terms which you can find here: https://www.pce-instruments.com/english/terms.
Disposal
For the disposal of batteries in the EU, the 2006/66/EC directive of the European Parliament applies. Due to the contained pollutants, batteries must not be disposed of as household waste. They must be given to collection points designed for that purpose.
In order to comply with the EU directive 2012/19/EU we take our devices back. We either re-use them or give them to a recycling company which disposes of the devices in line with law.
For countries outside the EU, batteries and devices should be disposed of in accordance with your local waste regulations.
If you have any questions, please contact PCE Instruments.
United Kingdom
PCE Instruments UK Ltd Unit 11 Southpoint Business Park Ensign Way, Southampton Hampshire United Kingdom, SO31 4RF
Tel: +44 (0) 2380 98703 0
Fax: +44 (0) 2380 98703 9
info@pce-instruments.co.uk
www.pce-instruments.com/english
Documents / Resources
 |
PCE Instruments PCE-MFI 400 Melt Flow Meter [pdf] User Manual PCE-MFI 400 Melt Flow Meter, PCE-MFI 400, Melt Flow Meter, Flow Meter, Meter |