Engineers at the Russian company Izobretatel - translated as 'Inventor' - in Moscow have designed and patented a new device for rapid and cost-effective analysis of the consistency of various food- and non-foodstuffs for future standardised replication.
While large companies and scientific research institutes often possess plant laboratories equipped with special devices for precise viscosity measurements, the engineers point out that these devices are normally complicated and expensive.
However, they note that while consistency is important for a lot of small businesses which produce syrups, creams, ketchups or inedible products - shampoos, balsams, glues, mastics - production engineers from these businesses do not necessarily need to know the exact viscosity of a cream or paint, expressed in poises. What they need is to ensure that the consistency is standard for a certain kind of product.
The 'consistence express analyser' nozzle, invented by engineers trying to regulate the consistency of doughnut pastry for an automatic doughnut producing machine, has been developed for this purpose.
The commercialised analyser is a device slightly less than 1.5 kg in weight, measuring approximately 25x25x10 cm. Equipped with seven removable nozzles to meet varying needs, the inventors claim the analyser is capable of digitally expressing the pastry or condensed milk consistence within three to four seconds.
The nozzle, which is able to memorise the whipping action, is immersed into a product and rotated. The higher the viscosity is, the stronger the resistance to the nozzle rotation is, and vice versa. Indications on the device panel are proportional to the environment resistance (to the moment of resistance).
Consistency of the substance under analysis corresponds to a certain digital value -specific to the chosen nozzle - which is highlighted on the panel. It is sufficient to measure once the viscosity of the environment with its 'correct' consistency and to record its digital value indicated by the device. To match the sample viscosity up with that of a standard is then just a matter of technique, say the engineers.
The range of viscosity, which can be 'digitised' by this analyser is quite extensive, say its designers, varying from liquid acetone through dense honey. They also claim the device has a high level of accuracy, with the machine reportedly able to easily recognise sweet tea from tea without sugar.
Further information can be obtained from the company Izobretatel.