Capacity for parallel work
The four-station arrangement processes up to 4 × 220 ml of sample, or up to 8 × 20 ml using the specified stacked small jars. Confirm the station configuration when selecting the mill.
LARGER VOLUMES. HIGHER SAMPLE THROUGHPUT.
PM 400.
More samples. More room to explore.
A floor-standing planetary mill for larger sample volumes, parallel preparation and advanced materials research. The four-station arrangement accepts jars from 12 to 500 ml, with compatible stacking for up to eight small samples.
Configuration examples. Jars, lids, adapters and monitoring accessories may be optional.
FEED SIZE*< 10 mm
SUN-WHEEL SPEED30–400 rpm
NOMINAL JAR VOLUME12–500 ml
FINAL FINENESS*< 1 µm
THE MODEL IN FOCUS
Highest sample capacity and flexibility in this family.
A large sun wheel
A 300 mm sun wheel and 30–400 rpm range produce high-energy impact and friction. Compare the complete geometry and load, rather than speed alone, across models.
Options for mechanochemistry
The PM 400 MA is a separate application-specific version offering increased speed ratios for demanding mechanical alloying and mechanosynthesis.
HOW PLANETARY BALL MILLS WORK
One orbit.
Counter-rotating jars.
Grinding jars sit eccentrically on a rotating support disc, or sun wheel. Each jar turns around its own axis in the opposite direction. The combined motion accelerates the balls and creates repeated ball-to-ball and ball-to-wall interactions.
Impact and friction reduce particles, mix components and can supply mechanical energy for solid-state reactions. The balance changes with speed, ball size, loading, jar geometry and whether the method is dry or wet.
The PM 400 sun-wheel range is 30–400 rpm. The standard speed ratio is 1:−2; MA versions offer increased ratios for specific research tasks.
Feed limits, useful sample quantity and achievable fineness depend on the material, jar, ball charge and operating conditions. Nominal jar volume is not the sample filling volume. Sub-100 nm results require a suitable wet-grinding method; maximum batch size and finest result are not simultaneous guarantees.
HANDLING & REPRODUCIBILITY
Repeat the program.
Prepare the next batch.
Speed control, ten stored SOPs, interval operation and direction reversal support repeatable preparation. The Safety Slider supports secure jar clamping, and automatic chamber ventilation helps manage the chamber environment.
- Floor-standing design for larger sample volumes
- Programmable start and remaining-time backup after interruption
- Match jar assemblies and loading to the selected station configuration
WET & NANO-SCALE GRINDING
Control dispersion.
Develop the fineness.
Dry grinding can reach analytical fineness below 1 µm for suitable samples. Wet colloidal methods can extend below 0.1 µm when the material, ball charge and dispersion support it.
Glass: follow the
whole size distribution.
In a reported PM 400 example, glass was milled at 360 rpm in ethanol with 1 mm grinding balls. After one hour, D90 decreased from 13 µm to 1.6 µm. This is a specific wet-grinding result, not a sub-100 nm claim for glass under those conditions.
Small particles can agglomerate as their surface interactions become more important. A suitable liquid or dispersant helps keep particles separated, while many small balls increase frictional contacts.
Review process temperature and cooling pauses alongside the size distribution. The example result is specific to its material and method.
MECHANOCHEMISTRY & SOLID-STATE RESEARCH
Mechanical alloying.
Mechanosynthesis. Co-crystal screening.
Planetary milling supplies impact and friction for research that goes beyond particle-size reduction. Choose the energy input, jar and atmosphere around the chemistry.
PM 400 MA: increased speed ratios
For reactions requiring a different energy input, PM 400 MA versions offer speed ratios of 1:−2.5 or 1:−3 instead of the standard 1:−2. Specify the version required; these ratios should not be treated as a setting available on every standard PM 400.
Explore solid-state synthesis, catalyst or composite preparation, and reactions with reduced bulk solvent during the milling stage. Pharmaceutical research applications include investigating active pharmaceutical ingredient synthesis and solid-form development. The appropriate method depends on the chemistry; evaluate the reaction product and the full process rather than inferring success from a milling program alone.
Compare impact-driven MM 400 research methodsCo-crystal and co-former screening
Small-vial adapters allow parallel screening with limited research quantities. The outer ring of a compatible adapter accepts up to 16 vials. A four-station PM 400 can therefore accommodate up to 64 screening samples using that outer-ring arrangement.
The eight inner-ring positions provide a different energy input for comparative research. Keep vessel format, ball charge, liquid addition and position in the method record, and confirm solid-phase formation analytically.
Explore a co-crystallization application example
JARS, BALLS & PROCESS OPTIONS
Build the method
around the grinding tools.
The jar, ball charge and closure determine what the sample experiences. Confirm each accessory against the model, jar size and application.
EasyFit grinding jars
The PM 400 accepts 12, 25, 50, 80, 125, 250 and 500 ml nominal jar sizes. Advanced Anti-Twist geometry on applicable 50–500 ml jars helps resist twisting and simplifies positioning.
Tool materials
Options include hardened stainless steel, tungsten carbide, agate, sintered aluminum oxide and zirconium oxide. Additional steel or silicon-nitride formats depend on model and availability. Select for sample hardness, chemistry and acceptable wear contribution.
Lids, seals & wet-grinding closures
O-ring seals support pressure-tight, dust-resistant jar closure. Protective jackets are used on selected brittle-material jars. Compatible special closure devices are recommended for wet or colloidal grinding.
Aeration lids
Compatible aeration lids allow a specified gas atmosphere inside the jar, such as nitrogen or argon. Interchangeable material inlays can match the contact surface to suitable jar materials.
GrindControl
The optional measurement system records temperature and pressure inside a compatible jar. Use these data to study warming, gas evolution and reaction behavior. Monitoring does not actively cool the sample.
Vial adapters for research
A compatible adapter offers an outer ring with 16 positions and an inner ring with eight positions for different energy conditions. Disposable 1.5 ml GC vials support small-sample screening; compatible 20 ml formats are also listed in selected models’ technical data.
Jar volume, useful sample and stacking are different.
PM 400: nominal jars 12–500 ml; useful sample quantity up to 4 × 220 ml in four-station configuration. Compatible stacking: 12, 25, 50 and 80 ml jars; up to eight compatible small jars in a four-station configuration.
LOAD THE JAR WITH PURPOSE
Sample. Balls. Free movement.
Jar size and ball charge should be selected together. Dry impact grinding and wet ultrafine grinding use different filling strategies.
Start with the sample quantity.
For conventional dry preparation, a useful starting rule is that grinding balls should be at least three times the largest feed dimension. The jar-filling chart relates nominal jar volume, sample amount, feed size and ball count.
One dry-grinding example uses a 500 ml jar for 200 ml of sample with pieces up to 7 mm, and 25 balls of at least 20 mm diameter. This is a starting example to evaluate, not a fixed charge for every material.
Wet ultrafine methods commonly use many smaller balls to increase frictional contacts. A wet-grinding starting point is approximately 60% jar filling with small balls; liquid volume, viscosity, dispersion and sample loading must be matched to the method.
Open the jar-filling chartMATERIALS & APPLICATIONS
From analytical samples
to advanced materials.
- Battery materials
- Ceramics & metal oxides
- Minerals & geological analysis
- Mechanical alloying
- Pharmaceutical research
- Pigments & coatings
- Polymers & composites
- Environmental samples
TECHNICAL DATA
PM 400 at a glance.
| Maximum feed size* | < 10 mm |
|---|---|
| Standard final fineness* | < 1 µm |
| Wet colloidal fineness* | < 0.1 µm with a suitable method |
| Grinding stations | 4 / 2, depending on configuration |
| Useful sample quantity* | 4 × 220 ml in four-station configuration |
| Nominal jar volume | 12–500 ml |
| Sun-wheel speed | 30–400 rpm |
| Speed ratio | 1 : −2; MA versions 1 : −2.5 or 1 : −3 |
| Acceleration rating | 26.8 g |
| Method storage | 10 SOPs; interval operation and direction reversal |
View complete technical specifications
| Applications | pulverizing, mixing, homogenizing, colloidal milling, mechanical alloying, mechanosynthesis, nano grinding, co-crystal screening |
|---|---|
| Feed material | soft, hard, brittle, fibrous – dry or wet |
| Size reduction principle | impact, friction |
| Material feed size* | < 10 mm |
| Final fineness* | < 1 µm, for colloidal grinding < 0.1 µm |
| Batch size / feed quantity* | max. 4 x 220 ml, max. 8 x 20ml with stacked grinding jars |
| No. of grinding stations | 4 / 2 |
| Speed ratio | 1:-2 / 1:-2.5 / 1:-3 |
| Sun wheel speed | 30 – 400 min-1 |
| Effective sun wheel diameter | 300 mm |
| G-force | 26.8 g |
| Type of grinding jars | EasyFit, optional aeration covers, safety closure devices |
| Material of grinding tools | hardened steel, stainless steel, tungsten carbide, agate, sintered aluminum oxide, silicon nitride, zirconium oxide |
| Grinding jar sizes | 12 ml / 25 ml / 50 ml / 80 ml / 125 ml / 250 ml / 500 ml |
| Stackable grinding jars | 12 ml / 25 ml / 50 ml / 80 ml |
| Adapter for single-use glass vials | 24 x 1.5 ml / 7 x 20 ml |
| Setting of grinding time | digital, 00:00:01 to 99:59:59 |
| Interval operation | yes, with direction reversal |
| Interval time | 00:00:01 to 99:59:59 |
| Pause time | 00:00:01 to 99:59:59 |
| Storable SOPs | 10 |
| Measurement of input energy possible | yes |
| Interface | RS 232 / RS 485 |
| Drive | 3-phase asynchronous motor with frequency converter |
| Drive power | 1.5 kW |
| Electrical supply data | different voltages |
| Power connection | 1-phase |
| Protection code | IP 30 |
| Power consumption | ~ 2200 W (VA) |
| W x H x D closed | 836 x 1220 (1900) x 780 mm |
| Net weight | ~ 290 kg |
*Feed limits, useful sample quantity and achievable fineness depend on the material, jar, ball charge and operating conditions. Nominal jar volume is not the sample filling volume. Sub-100 nm results require a suitable wet-grinding method; maximum batch size and finest result are not simultaneous guarantees.
YOUR MATERIAL. YOUR NEXT STEP.
Put the process
to the material test.
Tell us what you’re processing and what needs to change. We’ll help define the equipment, accessories and a useful trial.
- Material and starting particle size
- Target fineness and required quantity
- Temperature, purity and cleaning requirements