Can you measure a squeeze?

Any product designed to be squeezed from a tube or other flexible container by the user must have one essential characteristic – squeezability. 

This might appear obvious; but how can you determine the behaviour of your product and ensure that it meets customer needs? 

Ready-made convenience sauces and condiments are often produced in sachet or tube portions for quick and easy use, as well as to facilitate long-term storage. Removal of the contents relies on the consumer’s ability to squeeze the packaging, and on the consistency of the product, assuming the aperture of the tube / sachet remains constant.

It's not so problematic with the use of a Stable Micro Systems Texture Analyser and, for example, the Sachet/Tube Extrusion Rig, which enables you to quantify the forces needed to propel your product – whether it is a paint, a ketchup, or a conditioner – into the outside world.


What’s the testing solution?
A Sachet/Tube Extrusion Rig is a device which quantifies the force required to extrude the contents of sachet and tube style packaging. Designed for use with the TA.XTplus texture analyser, the innovative attachment positions the product vertically between two rollers, clamping the closed end with a grip at the top. The grip then pulls the sachet / tube upwards through the rollers, forcing the contents out. The higher the force recorded during this test, the more difficulty a consumer would experience in squeezing out the required portion.  As the contents’ consistency is fundamental to effective extrusion, the device can help manufacturers create optimum product formulations.

Don’t have your profits squeezed
By testing the force required to extrude the contents of a sachet or tube at regular intervals over a long period of time, product developers can analyse changes in a product’s consistency throughout its shelf-life and adapt formulations accordingly.

This rig also enables manufacturers to assess the suitability of packaging material and its construction. It can be used to produce accurate analysis of a wide range of foods including condiments, ready-made sauces, soft cheeses, pastes and purées, as well as cosmetic, paint and pharmaceutical products.