The equipment, compliant with ASTM D 36 – IP 58 – ISO 4625, is a benchtop model that incorporates various components and features a Panel PC with a touch screen. A software application, operating under Microsoft Windows Embedded, enables users to select the test method and parameters, run tests automatically, store, retrieve, and print data, as well as diagnose and calibrate the instrument. The software also provides LAN connectivity and encompasses all the functionalities typical of Windows systems.

Distinguishing itself from other instruments, this apparatus boasts a unique cooling system that facilitates rapid sample cooling. This feature allows for efficient handling of glassware and enables a higher throughput of tests throughout the day by minimizing the downtime between two analyses. Additionally, the apparatus is versatile, suitable not only for bitumen but also for testing coating mixtures and other materials.

The softening point, determined by this apparatus, is the temperature at which a sample disk, held within a horizontal ring, is compelled downward by a specified distance of 25.4 mm under the influence of a steel ball’s mass. This occurs as the sample undergoes heating at a prescribed rate within a water or glycerine bath.