Baked goods volume testing now faster, says SMS
The company said its new Universal Product Support unit extends the flexibility of its bench top laser based testing system, the Volscan Profiler - a rapid and repeated non-contact volume analysis of breads and morning goods.
Measuring volume and related parameters allows millers and bakers to gather and analyse consistent data on sample characteristics, and make informed decisions on quality control and product development based on quantitative data.
“The new Universal system features a 100mm diameter base with an array of support pins of differing thicknesses and lengths that can be selected according to the product. Vertical sample stability is provided without damaging the sample structure, giving a highly accurate dimension and volume measurement,” said the UK based supplier.
Managing director of SMS, Mark Proto, said that the unit ensures that the volume of a variety of products from loaves to cakes to custard pies and muffins can now be determined as the pin structure holds the products securely during rotation for contour laser scanning, without causing damage to an item’s structure.
Properties such as dimension, texture, weight, centre of gravity and contact area with the base will determine the support needed, said the firm.
Soft yet heavy product such as cake calls for medium-length spikes to be positioned wide apart to avoid sagging, whereas products with little base contact like baguette require a row of small thin spikes.
Proto told BakeryandSnacks.com that the software of the texture analysis system has also been modified to provide an additional testing speed advantage whereby baked good manufacturers can now place, for example, three bakery rolls on the spindle for testing and determine the volume value for each individual roll rather than the total number.
“Fast testing speeds can be selected when a baker is batch testing for volume consistency, while higher resolution analysis would be applicable for R&D applications such as testing the volume of products based on different wheat and flour varieties,” he added.
And customers can download all the latest software updates free of charge via the SMS website, said the supplier.
The Volscan Profiler generates 2D and 3D results of the sample, while a comprehensive software system captures and displays data in spreadsheets for easy retrieval and comparison of results.
Other instruments in the range include the Dobraszczyk Roberts dough inflation system and the Bread V Squeeze rig for bread springiness.
Proto said that the Volscan Profiler, depending on application, can be five or ten times more efficient that the seed displacement method and added that it has proved a strong seller for the firm since its launch at the end of 2008.
Sales have been recorded, he said, in South Korea, Japan, North America, and more recently in Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
