New sample preparation center combines batch mixing, single-screw, and conical twin-screw extrusion with integrated five-zone tempering
Anton Paar has introduced the Brabender MetaStation 4 Prep, a modular platform that combines batch mixing and extrusion with integrated five-zone tempering to create a consistent starting point for formulation screening, material comparison, and downstream testing.
MetaStation 4 Prep standardises the key variables that define sample history including quantity, loading or feeding sequence, speed, time, temperature, and attachment configuration. With speed, time, and the five temperature zones controlled from the central touchscreen, procedures can be repeated across operators, formulations, and batches to create comparable thermal and mechanical sample histories.
A key advantage of the unit is the ability to bring mixing and extrusion together in a single system. “The combination of three central sample-preparation routes, batch mixing, single-screw extrusion, and conical twin-screw extrusion is the defining strength of MetaStation 4 Prep,” says André Kayser, Product Manager at Anton Paar. “Development teams can move from mixed compounds to test-ready extrudates within one consistent operating concept, giving them greater flexibility in formulation screening while ensuring reliably prepared, comparable samples for downstream testing.”
Approved 30, 50, and 350 Series mixer attachments cover chamber volumes of 30 cm³, 50 cm³, and 350 cm³, enabling sample quantity to be matched to the development task. For extrusion, single-screw attachments produce strands, ribbons, tubes, and other formats at 0.5 kg/h to 5 kg/h, while the conical twin-screw extruder supports demanding PVC and compounding workflows at 0.5 kg/h to 10 kg/h.
Designed for industrial R&D, QC, pilot laboratories, and universities, the system supports formulation and sample preparation across thermoplastics, PVC, rubber, elastomers, and recyclates. Depending on the selected attachment, laboratories can prepare mixed compounds, strands, ribbons, tubes, or filaments for further processing or subsequent mechanical, thermal, and application-specific testing.
By ensuring consistent sample preparation, MetaStation 4 Prep helps conserve valuable material, shorten trial loops, and establish more reliable starting conditions before larger-scale extrusion or production, supporting greater efficiency and reliability throughout the development workflow.
To learn more about the Brabender MetaStation 4 Prep, visit our website or contact us via email, for the UK info.uk@anton-paar.com and for Ireland info.ie@anton-paar.com
