Suppliers Day Coverage
Technology specialist develops 'industry first' viscosity measuring tool
CosmeticsDesign.com USA spoke to Tom Basalik, territory manager for the brand at Suppliers Day in New Jersey last week to discuss the 'Discovery Hybrid Rheometer', a new tool for R&D departments to measure friction verses the feel of a substance.
"With this technology we can tell the difference between different exfoliates for example, how the material reacts in terms of bead shape or size, how well it will clean etc.," Basalik explains.
"Although others have come out with technologies likes this now, we were the first to have commercially developed a tool to replace human based trials in measuring viscosity," he adds.
Technology is an upgrade to 'Brookfield' method
DHR is claimed to be the only commercial rheometer with a magnetic thrust bearing that eliminates drag from pressurized air flows, resulting in a 70% reduction in bearing friction.
According to this territory manager; creams, lotions and fragrances, soft as well as stiff materials can also be tested for viscosity in terms of how a formulation separates, how it might flow easily in the hair for example, as well as the censorial effect.
"This device is our second generation design and offers improved low torque performance and stability, for an average price of $75,000," says Tom.
The technology specialist says the cosmetics industry has long been working off of the 'Brookfield method' in measuring viscosity, but to understand anything to do with structure feel, stability shelf life and how it will process, this technology will take R&D departments into a new era.
Breakdown of how the technology works
TA has designed the DHR motor to measure 0.5 nN.m of torque, with a new bearing design that enables measurement of the lowest torque values while also making the bearing more robust and easy to use.
Basalik says the 'Optical Encoder Dual-Reader' improves the measurement of displacement, resulting in visibly improved strain measurement and control, as well as phase angle values.
"This measurement quality also improves phase angle measurement, allowing low levels of elasticity in a fluid or trace amounts of damping in a solid to be easily and accurately identified."
