The europascal BH4-400B Automatic Deadweight Tester is a high-performance hydraulic pressure standard designed for precise and efficient calibration from 5 to 400 bar. With a standard accuracy of 0.01 % and enhanced performance of up to 0.006 % as an option, the BH4-400B combines the proven physical measurement principle of a piston gauge with advanced automatic functions for professional calibration laboratories.
The instrument is designed as a single-piston hydraulic deadweight tester and is identified by the manufacturer as BH4-400B SP. Its measuring range extends from 5 to 400 bar, corresponding to 500 to 40,000 kPa and 50 to 5,800 psi according to the manufacturer.
The BH4-400B incorporates a tungsten carbide piston and a treated steel cylinder. Hydraulic pressure is transmitted using oil, while the automatic BH4 platform provides motorized mass rotation, dynamic piston position visualization and automatic display of the generated reference pressure.
The instrument is particularly suitable for professional calibration laboratories, pressure instrument manufacturers, industrial quality assurance departments and service organizations that regularly calibrate hydraulic pressure measuring instruments.
europascal provides professional support for pressure calibration equipment, system configuration, maintenance and calibration. The europascal calibration service provides professional calibration solutions for deadweight testers, pressure balances, pressure gauges, pressure sensors, transmitters and other pressure measuring equipment.
Your Benefits at a Glance
The europascal BH4-400B Automatic Deadweight Tester combines high metrological performance with automatic operation.
Key benefits include:
- Automatic hydraulic deadweight tester
- Measuring range from 5 to 400 bar
- 500 to 40,000 kPa
- 50 to 5,800 psi
- Maximum pressure of 400 bar / 40 MPa
- Standard accuracy of 0.01 %
- Enhanced accuracy up to 0.006 % as an option
- Single-piston configuration
- Tungsten carbide piston
- Treated steel cylinder
- Hydraulic operation with oil
- Motorized mass rotation
- Dynamic piston position visualization
- Automatic pressure calculation and display
- Temperature measurement
- Atmospheric pressure measurement
- Non-magnetic stainless steel calibration masses
- Standard or local gravity configuration
- G1/2 swivel connection as standard
- Optional accredited calibration certificate
Measuring Range from 5 to 400 bar
The europascal BH4-400B covers a hydraulic measuring range from:
5 to 400 bar
This corresponds to:
500 to 40,000 kPa
or:
0.5 to 40 MPa
The manufacturer specifies the imperial range as:
50 to 5,800 psi
The maximum pressure is therefore:
400 bar / 40 MPa
This range makes the BH4-400B particularly suitable for calibration of hydraulic pressure instruments used in industrial and laboratory applications.
Accuracy of 0.01 %
The standard accuracy of the europascal BH4-400B is:
0.01 %
For applications with higher metrological requirements, AREMECA offers enhanced performance:
up to 0.006 % as an option
The complete measurement uncertainty of a calibration additionally depends on the relevant influence quantities of the pressure balance and calibration setup.
These can include:
- Calibration of the mass set
- Effective piston area
- Pressure coefficient
- Local gravitational acceleration
- Air buoyancy
- Piston-cylinder temperature
- Pressure deformation
- Hydraulic fluid properties
- Hydrostatic head difference
- Repeatability
- Sensitivity
- Resolution of the device under test
- Environmental conditions
The exact uncertainty budget should be determined according to the calibration procedure and the configuration of the instrument.
Physical Piston Gauge Measurement Principle
The europascal BH4-400B Automatic Deadweight Tester operates according to the fundamental physical principle of a piston gauge.
The basic relationship is:
p = F / A
where:
p = generated pressure
F = force acting on the piston
A = effective piston area
The gravitational force generated by the calibrated masses is primarily determined by:
F = m × g
where:
m = applied mass
g = gravitational acceleration
The simplified relationship is therefore:
p = (m × g) / A
For precision calibration, relevant correction quantities can additionally be considered, including local gravity, air buoyancy, temperature, pressure deformation and hydrostatic head.
The BH4-400B combines this proven physical reference principle with electronic measurement and automatic calculation functions.
Single-Piston Configuration
The manufacturer identifies the model as:
BH4-400B SP
The abbreviation SP denotes the single-piston configuration.
The BH4-400B therefore incorporates:
one precision piston-cylinder system
The complete specified measuring range from 5 to 400 bar is generated using this piston-cylinder assembly.
This provides straightforward operation without requiring the operator to switch between separate low-pressure and high-pressure pistons.
For applications requiring pressure generation below 5 bar, the BH4-400B is also available in a dual-piston configuration.
Tungsten Carbide Piston
The BH4-400B uses a:
tungsten carbide piston
Tungsten carbide provides high hardness, wear resistance and dimensional stability, making it particularly suitable for precision piston-cylinder systems.
The effective piston area is a critical metrological parameter because it directly determines the generated pressure according to the relationship p = F/A.
Treated Steel Cylinder
The cylinder of the europascal BH4-400B is manufactured from:
treated steel
The combination of a tungsten carbide piston and treated steel cylinder provides a robust precision piston-cylinder assembly for hydraulic pressure generation up to 400 bar.
Automatic BH4 Platform
The BH4 series combines the physical reference principle of a deadweight tester with automatic operator assistance.
The system includes functions for:
- Motorized mass rotation
- Dynamic visualization of piston position
- Automatic pressure calculation
- Display of generated pressure
- Measurement of environmental quantities
- Digital support for calibration procedures
The reference pressure itself continues to be generated physically by the calibrated masses and precision piston-cylinder system.
Motorized Mass Rotation
The BH4-400B incorporates electric motorization for rotation of the mass system.
Rotation of the piston helps minimize friction effects between the piston and cylinder and supports free movement of the precision piston.
Unlike a conventional manually operated deadweight tester, the BH4 platform performs this rotation automatically.
This reduces operator workload and is particularly useful for repetitive calibration procedures.
Dynamic Piston Position Visualization
Correct piston position is essential for reliable deadweight tester operation.
The integrated calculator provides:
dynamic visualization of the piston position
This allows the operator to monitor the piston during the calibration process and determine whether it is operating within the appropriate working position.
Automatic Pressure Calculation and Display
The BH4 system automatically calculates the reference pressure generated by the pressure balance.
The system can consider the relevant physical quantities measured by its sensors and display the resulting generated pressure.
This significantly reduces the amount of manual calculation required during calibration.
Integrated Environmental Measurement
The BH4 platform incorporates sensors for important environmental quantities.
The manufacturer specifies:
Temperature measurement accuracy: ±0.1 °C
and:
Atmospheric pressure measurement accuracy: ±1 hPa
These measurements support the automatic calculation of the generated pressure under actual operating conditions.
The manufacturer specifies reference calibration conditions of:
Temperature: 20 °C
Atmospheric pressure: 1013.25 hPa
Relative humidity: 50 %
Gravitational acceleration: 9.80665 m/s²
If the instrument is operated under different environmental conditions, the calculator can account for the measured variables when determining the generated pressure.
Non-Magnetic Stainless Steel Calibration Masses
The BH4 series uses:
non-magnetic stainless steel calibration masses
The mass set generates the force acting on the precision piston.
The masses are marked according to the selected pressure unit and are designed for convenient loading onto the mass carrier.
Different units can be selected when configuring the instrument, including bar, kPa and psi.
Standard or Local Gravity
The gravitational force generated by the calibration masses depends directly on gravitational acceleration.
The conventional standard value is:
g = 9.80665 m/s²
The BH4-400B can be supplied for standard gravity or adjusted to a specified local gravity value.
This is important because differences in gravitational acceleration directly affect the force produced by the mass set.
Hydraulic Operation with Oil
The europascal BH4-400B operates hydraulically with:
oil
Depending on the configuration, the BH4 series uses mineral or synthetic oil.
The reservoir volume specified for the BH4 platform is:
125 cm³
Correct filling, cleanliness and venting of the hydraulic circuit are important for reliable calibration.
G1/2 Connection
The standard connection for the device under test is a:
G1/2 swivel connection
Other adapters are available as options.
This allows different pressure gauges, sensors, transmitters and other devices under test to be connected to the calibration system.
Technical Highlights
Model: europascal BH4-400B
Manufacturer reference: BH4-400B SP
Device type: Automatic Hydraulic Deadweight Tester
Configuration: Single piston
Number of pistons: 1
Measuring range: 5 to 400 bar
Measuring range: 500 to 40,000 kPa
Measuring range: 0.5 to 40 MPa
Measuring range: 50 to 5,800 psi
Maximum pressure: 400 bar / 40 MPa
Standard accuracy: 0.01 %
Enhanced accuracy: Up to 0.006 % as an option
Piston material: Tungsten carbide
Cylinder material: Treated steel
Pressure medium: Oil
Instrument weight: Approx. 24 kg
DUT connection: G1/2 swivel
Operating temperature: 18 to 28 °C
Temperature measurement: ±0.1 °C
Atmospheric pressure measurement: ±1 hPa
Calibration masses: Non-magnetic stainless steel
Standard gravity: 9.80665 m/s²
Local gravity: Available
Technical Data
| Feature | europascal BH4-400B |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | europascal Aremeca |
| Model | BH4-400B |
| Manufacturer reference | BH4-400B SP |
| Device type | Automatic Hydraulic Deadweight Tester |
| Configuration | Single piston |
| Number of pistons | 1 |
| Measuring range | 5–400 bar |
| Measuring range | 500–40,000 kPa |
| Measuring range | 0.5–40 MPa |
| Measuring range | 50–5,800 psi |
| Maximum pressure | 400 bar / 40 MPa |
| Standard accuracy | 0.01 % |
| Enhanced accuracy | Up to 0.006 % optional |
| Piston | Tungsten carbide |
| Cylinder | Treated steel |
| Pressure medium | Oil |
| Instrument weight | Approx. 24 kg |
| DUT connection | G1/2 swivel |
| Operating temperature | 18–28 °C |
| Temperature measurement | ±0.1 °C |
| Atmospheric pressure measurement | ±1 hPa |
| Calibration masses | Non-magnetic stainless steel |
| Motorized mass rotation | Integrated |
| Piston position visualization | Integrated |
| Pressure calculation/display | Integrated |
BH4-400B SP vs. BH4-400B DP
The BH4-400B is available in single-piston and dual-piston configurations.
| Feature | BH4-400B SP | BH4-400B DP |
|---|---|---|
| Piston configuration | Single piston | Dual piston |
| Number of pistons | 1 | 2 |
| Overall coverage | 5–400 bar | 1–400 bar |
| Low-pressure range | – | 1–60 bar |
| High-pressure range | 5–400 bar | 5–400 bar |
| Range overlap | – | 5–60 bar |
| Accuracy | 0.01 % | 0.01 % |
| Operation | Automatic | Automatic |
| Pressure medium | Oil | Oil |
The BH4-400B SP is the straightforward solution when calibration from 5 bar is sufficient and one piston-cylinder system is preferred.
The BH4-400B DP adds a dedicated low-pressure piston from 1 to 60 bar and therefore extends the overall calibration range down to 1 bar.
Standard Scope of Delivery
According to the current manufacturer data sheet, the BH4-400B is supplied with:
- Operating instructions
- AREMECA calibration certificate traceable to national standards
- Product data sheet
- 0.5 liter of mineral oil
- G1/2 outlet connector
- Required tools
- OP0002 transport case for the generator
Documentation is available in French and English.
Calibration Certificate Options
The BH4-400B is supplied with an AREMECA factory calibration certificate traceable to national standards.
An accredited calibration certificate is available as an option.
The manufacturer specifically lists:
COFRAC or DAkkS/DKD calibration certificate
This allows the calibration configuration to be selected according to the quality and traceability requirements of the laboratory.
Typical Calibration Applications
The europascal BH4-400B Automatic Deadweight Tester is suitable for testing, adjustment and calibration of mechanical and electronic pressure measuring instruments, including:
- Precision pressure gauges
- Digital pressure gauges
- Pressure sensors
- Pressure transducers
- Pressure transmitters
- Pressure switches
- Hydraulic pressure indicators
- Reference pressure instruments
- Industrial pressure measuring systems
Typical users include professional calibration laboratories, pressure instrument manufacturers, industrial quality assurance departments, research laboratories and calibration service organizations.
Calibration and Traceability
Regular calibration is important for maintaining the metrological performance of a precision pressure balance.
The manufacturer recommends calibration approximately every 2 to 5 years depending on use.
Important components and parameters include the piston-cylinder assembly, calibration mass set, effective piston area, pressure coefficient, environmental quantities and gravity value.
The europascal calibration service provides professional calibration solutions for pressure balances, deadweight testers, pressure gauges, sensors, transmitters and other pressure measuring equipment.
Why Choose the europascal BH4-400B?
The europascal BH4-400B Precise Automatic Deadweight Tester combines a pressure range from 5 to 400 bar with 0.01 % standard accuracy and enhanced performance up to 0.006 % as an option.
Its tungsten carbide piston, treated steel cylinder and calibrated mass system provide the physical basis for reliable hydraulic pressure generation.
At the same time, motorized mass rotation, dynamic piston position visualization, environmental measurement and automatic pressure calculation simplify operation compared with a conventional manual pressure balance.
For professional laboratories that regularly calibrate pressure gauges, sensors, transmitters and transducers up to 400 bar, the BH4-400B provides an excellent combination of metrological performance, automation and ease of use.
Looking for the europascal BH4-400B or an automatic hydraulic pressure calibration solution up to 400 bar? Contact europascal for expert advice, system configuration and professional calibration services tailored to your requirements.
