Texture analysis: the benefits of automation

Today’s fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) manufacturers face a big challenge – to make products quickly, cheaply and in ever-increasing quantities. However, with consumers often prioritising quality above all else, they need to get it right. This is where testing comes in.

Multiple and repetitive manual product analysis, however, can put a strain on resources in large labs, reducing productivity and increasing manufacturing costs. In facilities where high volume, repetitive testing is causing these challenges, an investment in laboratory automation could be the answer.

Laboratory automation is a fairly recent but critical invention. It all started in 1993 when Dr Rod Markin of the University of Nebraska Medical Centre created one of the world's first automated clinical laboratory specimen, device and analyser management systems. Since then, laboratory automation has become a multi-disciplinary strategy to research, develop and optimise technologies that enable new and improved processes. The aim is to increase productivity, reduce lab process cycle times, minimise resource wastage and ultimately boost profits. Today, hundreds of laboratories are turning to automation as one approach to improving quality and increasing productivity.

When thinking about laboratory automation, manufacturers need to take a number of factors into consideration. The first step is to analyse the lab’s processes and work out what can and cannot be automated. Once this has been finalised, they need to select a laboratory information and management system (LIMS) that meets their lab’s unique needs.

A LIMS is a centralised system that offers a set of key features that support a modern laboratory's operations. These include – but are not limited to – workflow and data tracking support and smart data exchange interfaces. The nature of a lab’s information system determines the parameters for what is possible in all other areas of automation, which means selecting the right one is vital.

Any instrumentation that is automated can then be linked into an interface with the LIMS. This communication is either uni- or bi-directional. Some instruments, such as urine dipstick analysers or texture analysis rigs, only require one way communication, whereas others are more effective with a two way interface. Another area which demands attention is human transaction automation, or the use of barcode technology to identify or track a project.This process not only significantly reduces human error, it also speeds up production, as well as facilitating future retrieval and analysis of information or test results.

In a nutshell, the ultimate aim of automation is process improvement. Combined with a skilled workforce and efficient lab strategy, automation can change labs for the better by:

• Increasing productivity: By speeding up the production process, automation can help increase a lab’s throughput.

• Cutting costs: Today’s manufacturers are looking to save money wherever they can. Automation helps streamline the production process, reducing waste and the number of operatives needed. The result is reduced manufacturing and operating costs.

• Offering complete consistency: Automation can help minimise error, making sure each and every product is perfect.

• Allowing better people management: By automating time consuming, labour intensive processes, lab operatives are free to concentrate on other tasks.

One step that can be automated highly successfully is texture analysis. But why should manufacturers take this step? Texture is vital to FMCG product success. In food, it is an important part of the eating experience, playing on many of the senses and strongly influencing consumer satisfaction. In cosmetics, the perfect texture results in a lipstick that glides on easily or a foundation that simply melts into the skin. Nowhere, however, is texture more critical than in pharmaceuticals, where it influences product effectiveness, acceptability and safety. Indeed, texture has a number of other advantages, including process stability.

In addition to enhancing consumer acceptance, implementing a comprehensive texture analysis strategy also makes good business sense. This process allows manufacturers to determine a product’s “gold standard” physical properties, information that can be used as a QC benchmark for all future production. Additionally, by analysing the texture of competitive products, and comparing against their own, manufacturers have a clear view of their own advantages, and what improvements can or should be made.

How do lab owners go about implementing an automated texture analysis procedure? In addition to hardware with specialised testing plates, high-tech bi-functional software is required to carry out this complex process. Such software enables the set-up of a range of parameters, such as test speed, degree of deformation and speed of data acquisition. It also facilitates the display and comparison of results.

Creating the perfect product is challenging, especially for competitive food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical markets. As a result, manufacturers should not leave anything to chance. Lab automation can help put manufacturers on the path to success, allowing them to create products that meet unwavering consumer demands, while still making a profit.

The author: Jo Smewing is applications manager at Stable Micro Systems