Finetech Engineering

Melt Flow Index Tester

Overview

Melt Flow Index Tester

Imagine you order 5 tonnes of polypropylene granules from your supplier. The invoice says Grade X, 230/2.16 MFR = 12 g/10 min. That is what you agreed to buy. But how do you know that is what you got? You cannot tell by looking at the bag. You cannot tell by feeling the granules. You can only tell by melting it, pushing it through a die, and measuring how fast it flows.

That is exactly what the Finetech melt flow index tester manufacturer India product does. It is the fastest, simplest, and most reliable way to verify that the polymer batch you received is the grade you ordered. The test takes 15-20 minutes. A QC lab without this machine is flying blind every time a new delivery arrives.

As a trusted MFI tester manufacturer India and extrusion plastometer manufacturer India, Finetech Engineering builds this instrument — technically called an extrusion plastometer — to measure the Melt Flow Rate (MFR) and Melt Volume-Flow Rate (MVR) of thermoplastic polymers. The principle: granules go into a heated barrel, a calibrated weight presses the piston down, and the molten polymer squeezes through a standard die (2.095 mm bore x 8 mm long). You measure how much material comes out in 10 minutes. That number is the MFR.

MFR tells you about the polymer’s molecular weight and viscosity. High MFR = low viscosity, easy flow = lower molecular weight = typically weaker. Low MFR = high viscosity, stiff flow = higher molecular weight = typically stronger. Every grade of PE, PP, ABS, nylon, and every other thermoplastic has a specified MFR range. Your melt flow rate tester for plastic India machine is how you verify you are in that range before a kilogram of material hits the production line.

MFR vs MVR Difference Melt Flow — Which One Do You Need?

Feature

MFR — Melt Mass-Flow Rate

MVR — Melt Volume-Flow Rate

What it measures

How many grams of molten plastic flow through the die in 10 minutes

How many cubic centimetres of molten plastic flow through the die in 10 minutes

Result unit

g/10 min

cm3/10 min

How you get the result

Procedure A: you cut the extrudate strands at timed intervals and weigh them on a balance

Procedure B: the encoded piston measures its own displacement — the machine calculates MVR automatically. Your MFR MVR tester manufacturer India product does this.

Relationship

MFR = MVR x melt density

MVR = MFR / melt density

When to use it

General QC, grade verification, batch comparison. What most material datasheets report as ‘MFI’.

Comparing polymers with different densities. More reproducible because no cutting and weighing needed — less operator variability.

Standard

ASTM D1238 melt flow index tester manufacturer India — Procedure A; ISO 1133-1 Method A

ISO 1133 melt flow index tester manufacturer India — Procedure B / Method B; ASTM D1238 Procedure B

Equipment needed

Balance (for weighing extrudate strands) + timer

Piston displacement encoder built into the melt flow index tester with PID controller India — automatic calculation

How to Do Melt Flow Index Test ASTM D1238 — Step by Step
This is the complete procedure for how to do melt flow index test ASTM D1238 using the Finetech melt flow rate tester for plastic India:

Step 1: Set the Temperature

  • Look up the correct test condition for your polymer (e.g., 230/2.16 for PP = 230 degrees C with 2.16 kg weight)
  • Set the barrel temperature on your melt flow index tester with PID controller India product to the required value
  • Wait for the PID controller to stabilise — the display shows plus or minus 0.2 degrees C accuracy

 

Step 2: Load the Polymer

  • Load approximately 5 g of polymer granules into the heated barrel using the charging funnel
  • Use the tamping rod to compress the granules down and remove air pockets
  • Place the piston on top, then add the correct calibrated weight to the piston head

 

Step 3: Preheat — Do Not Skip This Step

  • Wait 7 minutes (ASTM D1238) or at least 5 minutes (ISO 1133) for the polymer to melt completely and reach a uniform temperature throughout the barrel
  • Skipping or shortening the preheat is the most common cause of wrong MFR results — the outer polymer melts first and flows faster than the centre, giving a misleadingly high reading

 

Step 4: Measure the Melt Flow Rate

  • Procedure A (MFR): allow the extrudate to flow for a few seconds, then cut it at the die exit. Cut and collect strands at timed intervals (typically every 15-60 seconds depending on the flow rate). Weigh each strand.
  • Procedure B (MVR): start the piston displacement measurement. The ASTM D1238 melt flow index tester manufacturer India product records how far the piston moves over a set time and calculates MVR automatically
  • Take at least 3 valid measurements. Discard any strands cut during the first 30 seconds (unstabilised melt)

 

Step 5: Calculate and Report

  • MFR (g/10 min) = (mass of extrudate in grams) / (test time in minutes) x 10
  • Report the mean of the valid measurements. Compare against the material datasheet range.
  • A result within plus or minus 10% of the datasheet value is generally acceptable for batch-to-batch variation

 

Step 6: Clean the Barrel

  • Purge remaining polymer by pressing the piston down to expel the melt
  • Clean the barrel with cotton patches pushed through by the cleaning rod
  • Clean the die with a brass rod — never steel, which damages the bore
  • A dirty barrel contaminates the next test. Cleaning takes 5 minutes but saves the next test from being invalid
Standard Test Conditions by Polymer
Always use the condition on the material datasheet. Wrong conditions = wrong MFR. These are the most common conditions on the Finetech melt flow rate tester for plastic India:

Polymer

Temperature (deg C)

Load (kg)

Designation

Typical MFR

Standard

Polyethylene (PE-LD, PE-LLD)

190

2.16

190/2.16

0.2-50 g/10 min

ASTM D1238 melt flow index tester manufacturer India, ISO 1133 melt flow index tester manufacturer India

Polyethylene (PE-HD)

190

2.16 or 5.0 or 21.6

190/2.16 etc.

0.1-30 g/10 min

ASTM D1238 melt flow index tester manufacturer India

Polypropylene (PP)

230

2.16

230/2.16

0.5-100 g/10 min

ASTM D1238 melt flow index tester manufacturer India, ISO 1133 melt flow index tester manufacturer India

ABS

220

10.0

220/10.0

1-40 g/10 min

ISO 1133 melt flow index tester manufacturer India

Polystyrene (PS, HIPS)

200

5.0

200/5.0

1-30 g/10 min

ASTM D1238 melt flow index tester manufacturer India

Nylon (PA6, PA66)

235 or 275

1.0 or 2.16

235/1.0

5-60 g/10 min

ISO 1133 melt flow index tester manufacturer India

Polycarbonate (PC)

300

1.2

300/1.2

5-30 g/10 min

ASTM D1238 melt flow index tester manufacturer India

PET (Polyester)

285

2.16

285/2.16

5-60 g/10 min

ISO 1133 melt flow index tester manufacturer India

POM (Acetal)

190

2.16

190/2.16

2-40 g/10 min

ASTM D1238 melt flow index tester manufacturer India

What Your MFR Result Tells You — Practical QC Guide
This is the real value of your melt flow rate tester for plastic India — turning a number into an action:

Scenario

MFR Reading

What It Means

What to Do

Incoming batch matches datasheet

Within plus or minus 10% of datasheet

Correct grade, consistent lot

Accept the batch — release to production

MFR significantly higher than spec

Higher than expected

Lower molecular weight — possible degradation, wrong grade, or contamination

Hold the batch. Retest. Contact supplier with your MFR data. Request grade certificate.

MFR significantly lower than spec

Lower than expected

Higher molecular weight — wrong grade or unintended high-MW fraction

Hold the batch. May cause higher injection pressure, filling problems.

High batch-to-batch variation

Inconsistent lot to lot

Inconsistent supplier QC

Request tighter specification from supplier. Increase incoming inspection frequency.

MFR increases after moulding

Higher than incoming granules

Thermal degradation during processing

Check barrel temperature, residence time, screw speed, moisture content.

Regrind / recycled material

Higher than virgin polymer

Degradation from previous heat cycles

Limit regrind ratio. Blend with virgin to control MFR.

Specifications

Parameter

Specification

Product Name

Melt Flow Index Tester Manufacturer India — Melt Flow Rate Tester / Extrusion Plastometer (MFI Tester Manufacturer India, Finetech Engineering, Thane)

Also Known As

Melt Flow Rate Tester for Plastic India, Extrusion Plastometer Manufacturer India, MFR MVR Tester Manufacturer India, MFI tester

Measured Values

MFR (g/10 min) and MVR (cm3/10 min)

Temperature Range

50 deg C to 400 deg C — covers all standard thermoplastics from PE (190 deg C) to PC (300 deg C)

Temperature Control

Melt Flow Index Tester with PID Controller India — PID controller with plus or minus 0.2 degrees C accuracy across the full barrel length (per ASTM D1238 Melt Flow Index Tester Manufacturer India and ISO 1133 Melt Flow Index Tester Manufacturer India requirements)

Standards

ASTM D1238 Melt Flow Index Tester Manufacturer India (Procedure A and B), ISO 1133 Melt Flow Index Tester Manufacturer India (Method A and B)

Barrel Material

Hardened steel, bore 9.550 mm plus or minus 0.025 mm

Standard Die

2.095 mm bore x 8.000 mm length (per ASTM D1238 / ISO 1133). Half-die (4.0 mm) available for high-MFR materials.

Piston

Hardened steel, 9.475 mm diameter, flat tip

Weight Set

0.325, 1.2, 2.16, 3.8, 5.0, 10.0, 12.5, 21.6 kg — complete set included as standard

MVR Measurement

Encoded piston displacement — automatic MVR calculation (Procedure B)

Timer

Digital timer with adjustable cut interval and auto-alert

Preheating Time

Adjustable — 7 min standard (ASTM D1238) / minimum 5 min (ISO 1133)

Power Supply

230V AC, single phase, 50 Hz

Certification

ISO 9001:2015 certified manufacturing. NABL-traceable calibration available.

Applications
Industries Served
Why Choose the Finetech MFI Tester?

PID precision – plus or minus 0.2 degrees C, not plus or minus 2 degrees. MFR is extremely sensitive to temperature – even 1 degree C changes the result by 5-15% depending on the polymer. The Finetech melt flow index tester with PID controller India product maintains plus or minus 0.2 degrees C across the full barrel length, meeting the strictest requirements of both ASTM D1238 melt flow index tester manufacturer India and ISO 1133 melt flow index tester manufacturer India specifications.

Complete weight set included – no extra purchases. All 8 standard weights from 0.325 kg to 21.6 kg are supplied with the extrusion plastometer manufacturer India product. No discovering mid-test that you are missing the 3.8 kg weight for a specific grade.

Both MFR and MVR in one machine. Procedure A (cut-and-weigh MFR) and Procedure B (piston displacement MVR) are both built into the Finetech MFR MVR tester manufacturer India product. MVR is more reproducible because it eliminates the cutting and weighing step.

Built for Indian plastic labs. PE (190/2.16) and PP (230/2.16) are the two most processed plastics in India. The Finetech melt flow rate tester for plastic India is optimised for these daily conditions while covering the full range for all other polymers.

Manufacturer, not reseller. Built at our Thane facility. As your local melt flow index tester manufacturer India, we provide faster spare parts, direct engineering support, and no middleman pricing.

Related Products

Product

Why You Might Need It

Universal Testing Machine (UTM)

Complementary tensile and flexural testing – both MFI and tensile data are standard requirements for any melt flow rate tester for plastic India workflow

Izod & Charpy Impact Tester

Complementary impact testing – MFI and impact resistance together characterise a plastic grade completely

HDT / VSP Apparatus

Complementary thermal property testing – heat deflection temperature is often specified alongside MFR

Muffle Furnace

For ash content / filler content testing of the same compounds – confirms what the melt flow index tester manufacturer India data shows about compound consistency

Humidity Chamber

For conditioning hygroscopic polymers (nylon, PET) before MFI testing – moisture affects MFR significantly

Shore D Hardness Tester

Complementary hardness testing – filler loading and molecular weight both affect hardness

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

A melt flow index tester manufacturer India product - also called an extrusion plastometer manufacturer India product or melt flow rate tester for plastic India - is a laboratory instrument that measures how easily a thermoplastic polymer flows when it is melted. It heats granules in a barrel, applies a calibrated weight, and measures how much molten polymer squeezes through a standard die in 10 minutes. The result is the most widely used QC parameter in the plastics industry.

For a complete answer, see the step-by-step section above - how to do melt flow index test ASTM D1238. In brief: (1) Set barrel temperature to the polymer's required condition. (2) Load 5 g of granules. (3) Preheat 7 minutes. (4) Collect and weigh extrudate strands (Procedure A) or read piston displacement (Procedure B). (5) Calculate MFR = (mass in g / time in min) x 10. (6) Clean the barrel.

The MFR vs MVR difference melt flow is: MFR (Melt Mass-Flow Rate) measures grams per 10 minutes by cutting and weighing extrudate strands (Procedure A). MVR (Melt Volume-Flow Rate) measures cubic centimetres per 10 minutes by tracking piston displacement (Procedure B). Both measure how easily the polymer flows - just in different units. MVR is increasingly preferred because it does not require cutting and weighing, reducing operator error. The Finetech MFR MVR tester manufacturer India product supports both procedures.
ASTM D1238 melt flow index tester manufacturer India specification is the American standard for the melt flow rate test. ISO 1133 melt flow index tester manufacturer India specification is the international standard. They use the same test principle, the same die dimensions, and the same weight set. The main differences are in some procedural details and the way results are reported. Most material datasheets specify one or both. The Finetech machine is compliant with both standards.
MFR is extremely temperature-sensitive. A 1 degree C error at 230 degrees C can shift your PP result by 5-10%. Without a precision PID controller, the barrel temperature drifts up and down by 5-15 degrees, making every result unreliable. The Finetech melt flow index tester with PID controller India maintains plus or minus 0.2 degrees C - the requirement of ASTM D1238 melt flow index tester manufacturer India and ISO 1133 melt flow index tester manufacturer India. This is not a luxury - it is what makes the test valid.
A higher MFR than the datasheet means the polymer's molecular weight is lower than expected. This could be: wrong grade delivered, thermal degradation in storage or transport, contamination with a higher-MFR material, or too much regrind content. Hold the batch and investigate before releasing to production. Contact your supplier with your melt flow rate tester for plastic India test data and request a re-verification from their QC lab.
Yes, but moisture control is critical. Nylon (PA), PET, and other hygroscopic polymers absorb water from the air. Even a small amount of moisture significantly increases the MFR by causing hydrolysis of the polymer chains during the test - giving you a falsely high result. Always dry hygroscopic polymers before testing: nylon typically needs 4 hours at 80 degrees C; PET needs 4-6 hours at 120 degrees C. A Finetech Humidity Chamber or oven provides controlled drying.
Yes. The Finetech melt flow index tester manufacturer India product meets the temperature accuracy, barrel dimensions, die dimensions, and weight accuracy requirements of ASTM D1238 melt flow index tester manufacturer India and ISO 1133 melt flow index tester manufacturer India specifications. We provide calibration certificates - temperature calibration, die dimension verification, weight certification - that support your NABL accreditation application.