Use
The 3 points bending fixture is used to determine the rigidity properties of hard products such as shortbreads (premium vs low-cost vs gluten-free).
Method
The shortbread is placed horizontally and symmetrically on the 3 points bending fixture in order to apply the force in the middle of the sample. Then a few centimeters (2cm) compression is applied at 0.5mm/s to break the sample.
Results
Using this device equipped with the 3 points bend cell, variety of hard products can be mechanically analyzed.
The adjustable bench allows you to characterize different types of shortbreads (wheat or gluten-free) with only one cell.
The TX-700 can be used to assess the mechanical properties of shortbreads. We can see that there is a difference in the required force to break the shortbread. Gluten-free shortbreads are much more brittle than the wheat one. The curve irregularities come from the crackling of the product during the compression.
The TX-700 is the suitable device to test the mechanical properties of hard product like shortbreads. It is possible to use it in quality control but also during R&D.