Grégory VERICEL

Product Manager
 What is an Alveograph?
• It is a laboratory instrument
• It measures the visco-elastic properties of a bubble of
dough as it is inflated.
• It is a worldwide standard.
• It is used for:
- Controlling the wheat and flour quality
- Measuring the impact of additives
- Blending wheat or flour
- Ensuring conformity to specification book
- …

• It is not : a crystal bowl!

Alveograph curve
- P : dough tenacity
(aptitude to resist
deformation)
- L : dough extensibility
(maximum volume of air
that the bubble is able to
contain)
- P/L : configuration of
the curve
- I.e. : elasticity index,
I.e.= P200/P (P200:
pressure at 4cm from
the beginning of the
curve)
- W : dough baking
strength or Energy
(surface under the
curve)
Alveolab
 Very easy set-up!
• Installation requirements:
– a computer (USB)
– bench space
– 220V
– No water cooling
 Automated water injection
• Water volume is calculated based on moisture content given
by the operator
• Water is added automatically and very accurately (+/- 0.05ml)
• Water temperature is also controlled
 Improved dough patties preparation
• New resting plates with anti-adhesive coating
• New semi-automatic dough cutter
 Easier preparation of dough patties
 Blowing bubbles has never been
easier!
• Fully automated

• Temperature and humidity are regulated

 no impact of the lab conditions!
Lab conditions have no influence
on the Alveolab results!
 How much more accurate is it?
Repeatability Reproducibility
Alveolab (CVr) Alveograph (CVr) Alveolab (CVFi) Alveograph (CVR)
P 2% 3.7% 3% 9.3%
L 7% 8.2% 7% 11.9%
G 3% 4.2% 3.5% 6.4%
W 5% 5.9% 5% 8%
P/L 7.7% 8.5% 8.4% 17.4%
Ie 0.8% - 1% -
Alveolab Fidelity data - Arvalis – September 2013 | Alveograph Fidelity data - NF EN ISO 27971

• Full and complete data will be available in 2015

(worldwide ring test)
 What about the standards?
• Alveolab is a new Alveograph
• Alveolab 100% complies with all existing
standards
 Make more Alveograph tests!
• Gain in accuracy is even more important with
operators with limited experience
• It is now easier and quicker to become fluent with
the Alveograph test
• It is easier to run multiple tests at the same time
• It is now possible to increase the number of tests
done per day, and therefore to maximize ROI
Innovations to get the most out
of your Alveograph
-
new protocols
 Standard and new protocols
• Alveo CH, Alveo AH, Consistograph, Degradation, Relaxation… are
included in the software
• All types of wheat (soft, hard, durum) can be tested under optimal
conditions that correspond to their use in the industry.

• Easily develop new

protocols to meet
specific applications and
make the Alveograph
test even more
predictive of flour
performance
Degradation
• Alveo test is performed as usual
except that:
– 3 patties are inflated 28 minutes after
the beginning of mixing.
– 2 patties are inflated 120 minutes
after the beginning of mixing.
• Curves at 28 and 120 min are
compared and degradation index is
calculated:
DI = (W28-W120)/W28
Durum
• Determine the quantity of water to add
using the following formula: Salt water
volume = 187.52 – (H20% x 4.375)
• Dough mixing consists of:
– 1 min for mixing semolina with salt water.
– 1 min for manual scraping
– 2 min for mixing.
• Stop mixing when the timer indicates 4
min and keep dough inside the mixer for
18 min. After this resting time, start the
mixer for another 4 min. Then continue
with the standard CHOPIN protocol, as
follows:
– Extrusion of dough
– Resting of patties in the Alveograph
chamber at 25°C for 20 min
– Inflation of the bubble.
 Relaxation
• The idea of relaxation test is pretty simple:
– Inject a certain amount of air inside the bubble in order to form a bubble but
avoiding any rupture in the bubble wall (no air leak).
– Look how the bubble is deforming/relaxing over time.
– Measure the time for the bubble to relax.

• This measure indicates how

Px
dough performs when little stress
is used.
– If relaxation is fast, it indicates a
Iex
non-tolerant, slack dough.
– If relaxation is slow, it indicates Po

highly resistant dough. Wx

Po/2

Lx T1/2
More useful information in one test!
• For research purpose Standard (W,
(and breeders), give P…)

the possibility to test 6 Alveo CH 1st Derivative

patties in different Strain

hardening
modes and have all
corresponding Flour Degradation W2h/W20min

calculations Relaxation ½ relax time

Consistance,
Mixing
stab…
 Standard and new protocols
• Alveo CH, Alveo AH, Consistograph, Degradation, Relaxation… are
included in the software
• All types of wheat (soft, hard, durum) can be tested under optimal
conditions that correspond to their use in the industry.

• Easily develop new

protocols to meet
specific applications and
make the Alveograph
test even more
predictive of flour
performance
 Develop new protocols
Minimum Maximum
Water temperature 15°C 22°C
Mixer temperature 15°C 40°C
Mixing speed 30 rpm 100 rpm
Mixing time before cleaning 0.5 min 3 min
Cleaning time 0 min 3 min
Mixing time after cleaning 0 min 60 min
Resting time during mixing 0 min 60 min
Mixing time after resting 0 min 60 min
Number of patties 1 6
Resting temperature 15 °C 40°C
End of resting time from end of mixing 0 min 300 min
Alveo analysis chamber temperature 15°C 30°C
Alveo analysis chamber relative humidity 30% 90%
Air flow 1 L/h 120 L/h
Air insufflation 4 s or 4 ml 50 s or 33000 ml
Acquisition time 30 s 3600 s
Innovations to get the best use
of Alveograph data
Standard… and new test results!

Alveo

Stress/strain
1st derivative
New parameter : First Derivative
• The first derivative was introduced by
famous US researchers in the 90’s.

• It consists in derivating the Alveo

curve and brings a new parameter
called DM which showed very good
correlation with bread volume.

• It does not require extra testing and

can be calculated on every tests.

• This brings extra information useful

for R&D with the aim to increase the
prediction potential of the test.

Click here for the full article 

New parameters : Stress / Strain
• Strain hardening has been intensively used
by Stable Micro System to extract "scientific
data" from the Alveo bubble.

• The idea is to measure the resistance of

dough (strain) to deformation (stress).

• Strain hardening is a property of materials to

Bogdan Dobraszczyk increase their resistance when stress
increases.

• It is only a matter of treating the bubble

information on a specific way.

• The idea is to extract from the bubble all

information available and attract scientists
in order to increase the number of research
based on the Alveograph.

Click here for the full article 

New key features on the
software
 Help in finding the best blends
• 1st option
– Select different products and enter % of incorporation
– Ask software to calculate resulting Alveograph values for this blend

• 2nd option
– Enter a target and select a product
– Ask software to find in your database the "missing product" to blend
and at which percentage to reach the target

• 3rd option
– Enter a target
– Choose products to blend (up to 5)
– Ask software to find the best blend = blend with (1) most affordable
price and (2) closest results
Help in finding the best blends

2 1

3
Find the most appropriate additive
• Open a test
• Select a target/reference curve
• Software gives you the most appropriate additive to use
 Accuracy control charts
• Run test on reference samples
• Software automatically draws control charts
• Follow in an instant that the instrument is running properly
Add customized parameters
 What about the maintenance?
• Complete and simple maintenance menu

• Connection via TeamViewer

• Easy calibration (history of past CP/CL)

• No more burette
• No more oil in the piston assembly
• No more clogged cooling circuit
 Conclusion
• Alveolab is more efficient and more accurate
• Alveolab also offers new unprecedented possibilities
– Perfect for all actual users
– And will convince more customers

• But there is also a need for a more simple solution…

 What is it?
• Model to run only standard Alveograph CH test
• Based on Alveograph NG, with:
– no Consistograph
– no Alveolink
– PC software (simplified version of Alveolab
software, same modern, simple and intuitive
interface)
 Who is it for?
• If you only do Alveo CH tests, work in a
temperature and humidity controlled lab,
have a more limited budget…
Sales & marketing
 Our customers: who are they?
13% Millers
6% Research/Institute
10% Biscuit Ind.
60%
Ind. Bakeries
11%
Others

Alveograph is a quality control tool >80%

Our customers : where are they?
3,7%
5,8% Western Europe
New5,8%
Markets America
for 29,0%
6,2%
AlveoLAB Eastern Europe
Asia
9,4% Replacement Market Africa
AlveoLab & AlveoPC North Africa
CIS
18,1% 22,0% Middle East
(Sales based on last 15 years)
 AlveoLAB - AlveoPC markets
• MA + NG users replacement / existing market : captive
– AlveoPC for conservative (only CH test)
– AlveoLAB for progressive (accuracy, semi automatic,
protocols,…new possibilities)

• New customers & new areas market : development

– AlveoPC if only need CH test
– AlveoLAB if need more information (semi automatic, several
protocols, new information…)
 Competition : Brabender
Brabender Extensograph :
- Measures extensibility in another way (2D)
- Needs Farinograph : higher cost, bigger sample size, longer test
time…

Just a question of education / culture?

No fatality, yesterday’s Alveo is not AlveoLAB

which is a new/good solution for customers needs.
With AlveoLAB we have the right tool to fight!
 Sales policy
• AlveoPC price : 35 000 €
• AlveoLAB price : 48 000 €
• Usual distributor discount
• Availability : Q4 2014

• Alveo + manometer: not manufactured anymore

• Alveoconsisto: not manufactured anymore
• Alveolink: still available
• Spare parts for Alveo-Consisto/Alveolink/Alveo
manometer: still available
Thank you
for your attention

Questions?