Applications: •Determination of hardness and cutting tenacity ofbutter•Determination of hardness and cutting tenacity ofcheese, eggs, vegetables, fruit Applications: •Determination of dough characteristics for bread andbaked goods•Determination of the elastic characteristics of chewinggum Setup and performing a test A complete block of butter (500g) is placed on the universal work platform. The cutting fixture, which cuts through the complete block of butter, is affixed to the moving crosshead of the testing machine manufacturer. The force required to cut through the butter is acquired by the testing machine. Information as to the butter´s characteristics such as hardness and spreadability can be determined from the force-path curve. Butter cutting test deviceButter cutting test This test is used to determine the spreading quality and firmness of butter or cheese specimen to DIN 10331 / ISO 16305. A stainless steel wire with dia. 0.3 mm cuts through a block of butter. The force required is acquired by the testing machine. This test is very dependent on temperature and should only be performed under defined temperatures (see temperature chamber, page 14, picture 21). Setup and performing a test The dough tensile test device consists of a specimen table which holds the dough specimen, and a tensile hook for deformation of the specimen. A device for specimen preparation is used to produce identical specimen (dough strands). Specimen preparation: Approx. 200 to 300 g dough is placed into the special device for specimen preparation which is also supplied with the dough tensile test device. By compression several identical specimen strips get formed which are placed via a piece of paper in the test device. Test: After the specimen has been placed on the testingtable and the table mounted in the test device, the dough is deformed with the hook. Thereby force and travel are acquired and evaluated by the testing machine. Dough tensile test deviceDough tensile test The dough tensile test is performed on dough and gluten (protein binders). The special dough tensile test device makes it possible for dough and baked goods producers to determine the material characteristics of dough. The elasticity and strength of various doughs and glutens can be determined. Mechanical testing of dough can show the characteristics through technically measured proof. Various recipes, processing types- and times, as well as admixed material, can be improved in order to have the optimal end product. The increasing use of automated dough processing requires the most constant product characteristics possible to which the machine parameters are set. Through constant monitoring of these characteristics with the dough tensile test device, product quality as well as processing steps can be optimised.
Picture 15: Dough tensile test for determination of the processing characteristics of dough Picture 16: Butter cutting testto ISO 16305 12