Instrument description

Software-controlled automatic instrument for measuring the hardness and compressive strength of capsules, gelatin substrates, and soft or elastic materials.

This instrument allows a compressive force to be automatically applied to the product, following a programmable cycle to assess the deformation resistance and the compliance with the required standards.
Particularly suitable for quality control in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food and related sectors, it is a reliable solution for testing delicate products that comply with specific regulatory requirements.

Key Features of the instrument

• Motorised probe displacement device with 0.0001 mm resolution
• Load cell for measuring applied force with full scale 60 N and resolution 0.001 N
• Automatic rotation of probe plate for automatic testing of several capsules
• Digital display for instrument handling and direct reading of force and displacement.

Software

• The software allows predefined test cycles and the preparation of customised cycles.
• Graphical representation of force vs. displacement curves
• Product identification by barcode and verification of tolerance limits of results
• Automatic storage of results and curves in SQL databases.

Test Cycle

The instrument allows a standard or customised test cycle to be carried out on each capsule.
The predefined test cycle allows a deformation of 2 mm to be applied to each capsule, the force application curve to be represented and the maximum force applied during the cycle to be calculated.
In addition, the software allows the user to prepare different and fully customised test cycles. Customised test cycles can include a different deformation, maintenance of the deformation for a defined time, repetition of the cycle to be applied to the capsule for an adjustable number of times, etc.
This feature of the instrument allows it to be used both for quality control and as a tool for product development and optimisation.

Interchangeable Capsule Holder Plates

The instrument can be equipped with an interchangeable Capsule Holder Plate.

The Holder Plate is attached above the motorised rotating plate of the instrument and allows fully automatic testing of all capsules that have been inserted into the housing compartments.

The Holder Plates are available with different housing compartments depending on the size of the capsules to be measured.
Standard holder plates are available in the following sizes:
Oval capsules: Oval 1,2,3,4,5,6,7.5,8.5,10,12,16,20,30
Spherical Capsules: Round 1,2,4,5,6,7,9,15,20,28,40
Oblong Capsules: Oblong 3,4,6,8,9.5,11,14,16,20,22,24

Capsule Holder Plates with different dimensions are available on request

Test report

The report format is selectable
The report can be edited using the software's integrated editing programme.
The print language is selectable.
The Report can be produced automatically at the end of the test.
The report can be produced in Pdf, Word, Excel format.

The results and test curves of all the tests carried out are saved in the Gibitre SQL database and are available through the Datagest program.

Datagest is the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) which is always installed in combination with all Gibitre instrument-control programs.
The program is the collector for all the test result produced with the instruments connected and permits to manage the common Archives used by the instruments (Product List, Customer List, Tolerance limits, Order List, etc)

The instrument and the software have been specifically developed to optimize integration with other environments.
The database in SQL format and the Gibitre_Company_Connect program allows you synchronize your company management software with Gibitre database and to speed up the identification of the tests and to use bar-code readers or similar devices.

Hardware requirements

• Programs can be installed on standard PCs with WINDOWS 10 or 11 OPERATING SYSTEM.
• The CONNECTION between the instruments and the PC is made using the USB CABLE supplied with the instrument.
• The programs are COMPATIBLE WITH ANTIVIRUS, and other programs installed on the PC.

Language Selection

All the programs produced by Gibitre are multi-language and allow the operator to select the language of use.
The test report can be produced in the desired language regardless of the language of use of the program.
The languages available at the moment are: Italian, English, German, French, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Turkish, Polish, Czech

The instrument is totally developed and produced in the plant of Gibitre Instruments in Italy.
All the mechanical parts are produced in the company workshop using modern CNC machines.
Components and sensors from well-known brands are selected in order to ensure the maximum reliability in the measures
Internal trained personnel takes care of all the production stages: assembly, start-up, calibration, packing, shipment and installation.