PCS Instruments products

The USV is a computer controlled instrument capable of fully automatic viscosity measurements up to 10⁷ s^-1  reciprocal seconds. Accurate measurement of dynamic viscosity at very high shear rates is of particular concern in the Automotive Industry. Lubricants developed for motor vehicle applications are typically non-Newtonian making it necessary to reproduce the shear rate found in engines when measuring the viscosity. Several international standards (ASTM, CEC) define procedures to measure the High Temperature High Shear (HTHS) viscosity at 150°C and 10⁷  s^-1  reciprocal seconds. These capacities are enhanced by the simple to use software and a rapid turnaround: a complete temperature/shear rate map for a lubricant can be completed in around 1 hour.

The MTM2 is a flexible general purpose instrument for measuring the frictional properties of lubricated and unlubricated contacts under a wide range of rolling and sliding conditions. To date, PCS have sold over 400 MTMs worldwide and this number is continuing to rise at a steady pace. One of the main applications is the fully automated traction mapping of lubricants under conditions commonly found in internal combustion engines. Additional features allow the measurement of anti-wear additive film growth on test specimens, investigation of soft contacts, reciprocating friction and wear measurements.

The MPR is a computer controlled three-contact disc instrument in which there are three ‘counterface’ rings of equal diameter positioned apart with a smaller diameter roller located in the middle and in contact with all the rings. This arrangement allows the test roller to be subjected to a large number of rolling contact cycles in a short period of time and hence significantly reduces testing time. At a typical entrainment speed of 3.5m/s, the central test roller will experience approximately one million contact cycles per hour.

The High Frequency Reciprocating Rig (HFRR) is a microprocessor-controlled reciprocating friction and wear test system which provides a fast, repeatable assessment of the performance of fuels and lubricants. It is particularly suitable for wear testing relatively poor lubricants such as diesel fuels and for boundary friction measurements of engine oils, greases and other compounds. It has become the industry standard test for diesel fuel lubricity and conforms to ASTM D6079, ASTM D7688, CEC F-06-A, ISO 12156, EN 590, JPI-5S-50 and IP 450.

PCS Instruments’ ABSSL System (Automated BOCLE System Scuffing Load) is a fully automatic laboratory instrument for carrying out lubricity testing of diesel (middle distillate) fuel. It fully conforms to the requirements of ASTM D-6078 “Standard Test Method for Evaluating Lubricity of Diesel Fuels by the Scuffing Load Ball-on-Cylinder Lubricity Evaluator (SLBOCLE)”.

The ABS is a microprocessor-controlled Ball-on-Cylinder wear test system which provides a fast, repeatable assessment of the performance of jet fuels that fully conforms to the ASTM D5001 test method for “Measurement of Lubricity of Aviation Turbine Fuels by the Ball-on-Cylinder Lubricity Evaluator”. The ABS comprises a single, compact, bench top mounted unit. The only external services required are compressed air to the specification in ASTM D5001 and 100-230V mains power. The internal de-ionised water reservoir requires refilling after approximately 1,000 tests. An air cleaner/dryer is available which can clean and de-humidify normal laboratory or shop air to meet the requirements of the ASTM standard (