The micro-doughLAB is a small scale (4g) dough mixer and analysis system to analyse the quality and processing features of flour and dough.

The decreased sample size is suited for researchers, wheat breeders, grain handlers, millers and bakers with restricted sample and/or valuable samples.

It may be utilised to screen breeder lines, generate rapid and small scale methods, and to determine the performance, specification, water and mixing requirements of flour. It allows users to save time and prevent unneccesary costs by accurately and hastily identifying the best flour for their needs.

The micro-doughLAB operates from PC with the doughLAB for Windows (DLW) software system. The micro-doughLAB is easy to use, small, reproducible, precise, and cleans up easily.

Features and benefits

Operation and handling

The micro-doughLAB is a small-scale sigma arm dough mixer which requires 4g of flour and measures water absorption (WA) and dough mixing parameters.

The small sample requirement makes micro-doughLAB well suited for use by wheat breeders and researchers who typically have limited sample available. It can be used to develop rapid and small scale methods that correlate to standard methods.

1) ate micro-doughLAB method in DLW software. Accurately weigh your flour sample using an electronic balance.	2) Push the bowl guard back away from the bowl.	3) Dispense the flour sample into the bowl, as shown.
4) Slide the bowl guard back into place above the bowl and ensure the dispensing arm is positioned over the bowl. Click on “Run” The flour sample will be mixed for the specified zero time. Water will then be added to the sample.	5) Place the evaporation lid over the bowl.	6) The resistance of the dough will be graphed on the monitor.

Applications

Wheat flour doughs are nonlinear viscoelastic materials, and as such there is an unusual relationship between the strains displayed during mixing (stretching, shearing, compression and relaxation) and dough resistance. Various factors that are related to processing conditions and flour type will also have a large effect on how the dough reacts. Differences in water and protein content, alterations in the structure of the protein, starch, starch damage, pentosans, gluten strength and the actions of enzymes on the dough components all affect dough behaviour. Due to the complex nature of dough behaviour an empirical instrument test is desirable.

The two vital pieces of information required by millers and bakers are the absorption (amount of water required for a dough to reach a definite consistency) and the mixing profile of the dough (development time, stability and softening) which are indicative of the suitability of the flour for different applications. Other parameters may also be measured.

micro-doughLAB information will be useful to:

• Wheat breeding labs developing new lines for milling, baking (bread, cake, pastry, biscuit), pasta and Asian products (eg steam bread, noodles and flat bread), who must test wheat flour quality and processing characteristics using limited samples (F4 and possibly F3 stage). micro-doughLAB can also be used to develop quick and small scale methods that translate over to standard methods.
• Flour Millers producing flour that meets the customers’ needs, determining the performance of new season wheat,  blending old wheat with new to meet the specifications, developing flour blends that are optimal for processes, establishing the specification of incoming flour, developing new products and studying gluten characteristics. micro-doughLAB offers increased sample throughput, hasty tests, convenient handling and commercial process emulation routines.

Specifications

*External water bath needed for temperature control.

Small Sample Size: Integrated 4g micro scale bowl.
Fast
Variable Speed and Temperature
Easy to clean up

• Wheat breeding laboratories developing new lines for milling, baking (bread, cake, pastry, biscuit), pasta and Asian products (eg steam bread, noodles and flat bread), who need to test wheat flour quality and processing characteristics using small samples (F4 and possibly F3 stage). micro-doughLAB can also be used to develop rapid and small scale methods that correlate to standard methods.
• Flour Millers producing flour that meets the customers’ specification, establishing the performance of new season wheat, mixing and blending old wheat with new in order to meet the specifications, developing flour blends that are optimised for processes, establishing the specification of incoming flour, developing new products and studying gluten characteristics. micro-doughLAB offers high sample throughput, fast tests, convenient handling and commercial process emulation routines.