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Stable Micro Systems
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Stable Micro Systems Stable Micro Systems was established in 1987 and is a leading manufacturer of texture analysis, powder characterisation and volume measurement equipment. With headquarters 40 kilometres south of London (UK), Stable Micro Systems’ texture analysers are distributed in the UK by its own sales force and marketed on every continent through a network of hand-picked distributors and agents. Notable innovative development are for powder characterisation and volume measurement, namely the Powder Flow Analyser and the Volscan Profiler. Industries and Applications A texture analyser is now a standard and commonplace within the food industry, and use of is growing rapidly in the following fields: *Adhesives *Cosmetics *Pharmaceuticals *Pharmaceutical Packaging *Food Packaging *Petfood *Personal Care Products *Medical Devices *Powder *Controlled Release Drug Delivery *Hair & Hair Products *Electronics *Industrial Materials *Gels An Introduction to Texture Analysis Orally, visually, manually - texture is assessed in many ways to determine a wide range of properties: hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, adhesiveness, fracturability and chewiness. Major food companies routinely apply texture analysis techniques both in new product development and as part of quality control of ingredients, semi-finished and finished processed foods. It is now well accepted that objective analysis, rather than subjective sensory techniques, is key to maintaining consistency and textural quality in manufactured foods. While subjective testing still plays a role, food processors now use a number of instruments to provide quick and repeatable information. This is a cost-effective method for determining the effects of raw material quality and ingredient / processing variables on end-product acceptability. As demands on food manufacturers have become more pressing, texture analysis equipment has become more sophisticated. Instruments have developed from single textural parameter testing, such as penetrometers, to multi-functional instruments, including fully computerised Windows-based systems, which carry out a variety of measurements. Multi-functional texture analysis equipment use different probes and fixtures according to the individual test. These fixtures, each designed for a specific application, can be attached to the analyser’s base and / or horizontal arm. Samples are placed on the base of the instrument or on the lower fixture, or held between the upper and lower fixtures. A Texture Analyser accommodates a range of probles including needle probes, cylinder probes, spherical probes and conical probes to puncture or penetrate the sample or a range of fixtures are also able to provide the required action of compression, extrusion, cutting, extending or bending on the sample. In a typical simple test, the arm of the texture analyser, which contains the loadcell, moves down to penetrate or compress the product and returns to its initial position according to the procedure specified in advance by the user. During testing, data which characterises the product is collected as time, distance and force values, at a rate of up to 500 points per second. These values are typically plotted on a Force/Distance or a Force/Time graph and then analysed. 
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