Miller Magazine Issue: 118 October 2019

74 TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM MILLER / OCTOBER 2019 twin screws can be individually configured with conveying, kneading, and mixing elements depending on the process sequence. This allows for a wide range of product simula- tions with different shear forces and allows the TwinLab to be used for a wide range of purposes. With a width of 60 centimeters, it also fits in even the narrowest of laboratories. Where do you see the application-related advantages for product development? ML: Well, I could go on for hours about that. But I’ll name four main arguments for practice-oriented product develop- ment with laboratory extruders such as the TwinLab instead of experi-ments which interfere with production. For one, you can vary your application ideas in a wide vari-ety of ways with regard to raw material, formulation, machine, and product. Secondly, you have the option of establishing methods for measuring your quality parameters from the raw material to the end product in advance. Thirdly, you require significantly less time for your tests, save on material, and have almost no product wastage. Last but not least: You do not need to worry that your ongoing quality management system will be impacted in the first place. JF: Universities and other research institutions are also increasingly involved in such practice-oriented product de- velopment. In collaborative projects with the sciences and businesses, we at Brabender support our clients with extru- sion technology know-how. Smart workflows are the talk of the town at the mo- ment — does this apply in the laboratory as well? JF: Yes, we can offer our clients huge advantages with the Brabender product family in this re-spect. The TwinLab is controlled via our MetaBridge software. It allows multiple lab- oratory devices to be networked — for evaluating, exchang- ing, and linking measurement data. Off the top of my head, I have two examples: The Moisture Tester MT-CA is used to measure the moisture level, first in the raw material and then the extrudate, as an important parameter for expansion and shelf life. The degradation of starch in extruded products made of flour is a key product characteristic that can be ana- lyzed easily and quickly in the ViscoQuick. ML: And there are two additional technical aspects for laboratory staff: The process unit is sepa-rated horizontally and can be folded up vertically — a feature that only a few models on the market offer. This not only allows for the visual evaluation of individual processing steps, but also allows for convenient screw removal and fast cleaning. Furthermore, in addition to various alarm and safety features for operation, the TwinLab also fulfills the highest hygiene requirements ac- cording to EU Regulation 1935/2004 — not entirely unimpor- tant in this day and age. So is lab scale extrusion worth it as a building block for a corporate future strategy for baked goods and snacks? ML: Product development at lab scale is an essential path to innovative food assortments. We offer our clients suitable technical equipment for lab scale extrusion, the advantages of which are clear: Economical use of resources, speed and flexibility on the path to the pilot product, and quality-assured production. This allows a return on investment to easily be realized with the corre-sponding innovation philosophy in the company. JF: New and ongoing development of products is indis- pensable, both grain-based and using al-ternative raw ma- terials. The food industry and consumers wish to have inter- esting products — preferably with added value in terms of taste and health. We at Brabender believe that extrusion as a technical application will play a key role for new consumer goods. That is why we are glad to invite clients to have a look at the TwinLab on site in our customer and technology center in Duis-burg — and not just look, but also experience it in operation live and with their own materials! Depending on the application, the screws for the TwinLab-F 20/40 can be individually configured with conveying, knead- ing, and mixing elements. Various die heads are available for creating extrudates in different shapes