Brabender further developed the Farinograph for determining the water absorption capacity of flour and the rheological properties of dough and launched a new version of the device on the market. In addition to the new name “FarinoGraph”, the product solution offers new features. In addition to the latest technology, the advantages include optimised user-friendliness, long service life of spare parts and improved design.
In 1928, Carl Wilhelm Brabender, founder of Brabender in Duisburg (Germany), developed the first Farinograph for testing the processing properties and quality of flour and dough. 95 years later, and thus just in time for Brabender’s 100th anniversary, the company is now launching the new FarinoGraph.
The fact that the Farinograph has been successfully and permanently used in the milling and baking industry since 1928 is no coincidence: the product solution for the quality control of flours according to international and national standards is one of the world’s most important and bestknown devices for determining the water absorption capacity of flour and the rheological properties of doughs. The accuracy, reliability and reproducibility of the measurement results are essential for a successful business relationship between processors and suppliers of flour products in increasingly global markets.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PREDICTS MEASUREMENT CURVE
The new FarinoGraph is the successor to the Farinograph-TS and, in addition to its new, slim and ergonomic design, features state-of-the-art technology for efficient and user-friendly test execution: “Measurements with the new FarinoGraph are now even more automated and timesaving. For instance, we have implemented an artificial intelligence based on previous measurements to predict the measurement curve and added a function to save measurement time”, reveals Viktor Schäfer, Business Development Manager Software Solutions at Brabender. Brabender Prediction is the name of the feature that checks and calculates the evaluation points during the measurement and predicts the torque curve in real time. With the help of this live feedback, the measurement can be stopped prematurely and the predicted values can be used instead. The AutoStop function ensures that the device stops after the measurement is complete, saving time: “Many customers plan a buffer time for the measurements so that the measurements are complete. With the Autostop function, this time is now eliminated as soon as all evaluation points have been reached”, says Schäfer.
COMPACT FORMAT FOR MORE SPACE ON SITE
The new device does not only save space in the laboratory, but also guarantees long spare parts availability in the future. As all of its predecessor models, it consists of a drive unit with infinitely variable speed control and a connected measuring kneader for kneading the dough to be tested: “The FarinoGraph measures the kneading resistance as a function of the viscosity of the dough as torque. This makes it possible to map water absorption, dough development time, dough stability, and the degree of dough softness”, Schäfer summarises. The measuring kneader in the new FarinoGraph scores for being particularly intelligent: A built-in sensor measures the sample temperature of doughs. Via an additionally available temperature tracker, which can be connected via Bluetooth, it detects the temperature in the environment and displays the humidity in the room.
The FarinoGraph is suitable for all types of dough: Whether gluten-free, sponge dough, soft and hard wheat according to standard specifications or for harder doughs made from rye flour and hard biscuit dough, for example. Different kneaders with 300, 50 and 10 grams, attachments for testing whole doughs and grain hardness as well as specific accessories are available depending on the user’s needs.
AQUAINJECT: OPTIMISED WATER DOSING, CONVENIENT AND FAST
Especially for use with the new FarinoGraph, Brabender has also optimised the AquaInject as an optional accessory. This is an automatic water dosing system for everyday laboratory use, but it can also be used as a stand-alone dosing system with any other device. The automatic dosing system eliminates the usual titration by hand, including the laborious and time-consuming refilling of the burette: “However, the FarinoGraph can also be used without the automatic dosing system and only by means of manual dosing via the burette”, says Viktor Schäfer. With the new AquaInject, automatic and precise titration curves can also be created, saving manual experiments.
DEFINING INDIVIDUAL EVALUATIONS
Evaluations of the instrument become even more efficient with the EvaluationEditor and SmartCorrelation functions: “Personalised evaluations of mathematical operations with measured values can be displayed via the EvaluationEditor, presenting useful comparisons and analyses. With the correlation function, different measurement data can be compared and reference curves can be created by the user”, describes Viktor Schäfer.
The MetaBridge software solution, already known from other Brabender devices, is also installed on the new FarinoGraph. It offers many advantages for the user, such as flexible data access via a web browser or the integrated remote maintenance and feedback function for the fastest possible support by Brabender technicians. It also enables the automatic transfer of measured values between the FarinoGraph and other Brabender devices.
3-PHASE SYSTEM FOR EFFICIENT PROCESSES
With the determination of the water absorption of the flour and the kneading behaviour of the dough, the FarinoGraph forms the first stage of the proven 3-phase system, which maps the production of bakery and pasta products on a laboratory scale in a holistic and practical way. In the second stage of the 3-phase system, the Extensograph shows the processing properties of the dough and predicts its gas holding capacity. Finally, the third stage follows with the Amylograph, which analyses the gelatinisation properties of starch as well as enzyme activity and baking ability of flour.