Rapid Visco Analyser

The Rapid Visco Analyser is a unique tool for product development, quality and process control, and quality assurance.

The RVA is cooking, stirring viscometer with ramped temperature and variable shear capability optimized for testing the viscous properties of starch, grain, flour, and foods. The instrument will analyze as little as two or three grams of the sample using international standard methods or your own tailor-made test routines of mixing, measuring, heating and cooling.

Applications include: flour and grain quality, native starches, modified starches, and starchy samples, formulated foods (e.g. sauce, ketchup, gravy, dressing, mayonnaise, soup, dairy beverages) other ingredients and foods (e.g. hydrocolloids & proteins), cooked and extruded foods (e.g. ready to eat breakfast cereals, snack foods, pet foods, fish feeds and animal feeds), reliability tests (e.g. process cheese, chocolate and confectionery)  and “Miniature Pilot Plant” small scale process emulation.

The new RVA 4800 can perform regular tests below 100°C, as well as high-temperature tests up to 140°C in a specially designed pressure vessel.

 

Features and benefits:

Features and benefits - RVA viscometers

 

Applications for RVA Viscometers

The RVA is ideal for fingerprinting the viscosity, hydration, and degree of cook of wide range of products. If your application is not listed below, click on “Industries” in the menu bar and link to your industry for more applications information. Still can’t find what you are looking for? Click on “Ask us a question” below.

•  Starches and Starchy Samples: 
  Native and modified starches of grains, roots, tubers, and others. High-temperature characterization with the RVA 4800.
• Hydrocolloids:
  Gelling/thickening profile, hydration profile, preparation of samples that will gel.
• Proteins: 
  Soy products, milk proteins, gluten, gelatin, and egg whites.
• Milling and Baking:
  Grain soundness and bug damage, starch pasting quality for cakes, bread, batters, pasta and noodles, flour amylase, malt amylase, fungal amylase, anti-staling, heat treatment of flour, wheat gluten quality and solvent retention capacity test.
• Barley – Malting – Brewing:
  Predicting safe storage life for malting barley, rapid recording mashing system (and the effect of the addition of enzymes, adjuncts, and chemicals to malts), monitoring the progression of malting, predicting barley malting quality and simulated industrial mashing process.
• Dairy:
  Process cheese manufacture and reliability, the effect of drying temperature on milk protein powders, rennet caseinate rehydration, dairy beverages, custard, age thickening of sweetened condensed milk and “Miniature Pilot Plant” small scale manufacture of yogurt, ice cream mix, and dairy desserts. Assess ingredient suitability for UHT applications for dairy and other food products with the TVA 4800.
• Formulated foods:
  Low viscosity products (premixes & ready to use) such as sauce, ketchup, gravy, dressing, mayonnaise, soup, other low viscosity foods with starches, hydrocolloids & proteins, melt tests such as chocolate and confectionery and “Miniature Pilot Plant” small scale emulation of manufacturing conditions.
• Extruded and Cooked Foods:
  Ready to eat breakfast cereals, snack foods, pet foods, aquafeeds, and animal feeds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RVA Viscometer Models

Perten Instruments offers a range of Rapid Visco Analyser models and accessories to suit your needs.

The RVA 4800 offers an extended temperature range up to 140°C.

The RVA 4500 and RVA-TecMaster combine speed, precision, flexibility, and automation with Thermocline for Windows (TCW) software for viscometric data acquisition and analysis. 

The RVA-StarchMaster2 offers the same speed and precision with the simple stand-alone operation. The RVA-StarchMaster2 is ideal for routine testing, process and quality control.

NEW - RVA 4800

With the extended temperature range (up to 140°C), the RVA 4800 provides a tool for performing more relevant analysis for a variety of applications, including ingredient (e.g. starch and hydrocolloid) performance under conditions relevant to ultra-high-temperature (UHT) pasteurization of dairy and food products, retorting, pressure cooking, extrusion and other aseptic processing conditions.

RVA 4500

The best choice for analyzing low viscosity samples (down to 10 cP at 160 rpm) because of its exceptional sensitivity and accuracy.

Low viscosity applications include: low solids starches (e.g. ethylated & cationic starch for paper & packaging), low viscosity food starch (e.g. acid/enzyme thinned), low viscosity products (e.g. sauce, ketchup, gravy, dressing, mayonnaise, soup, dairy beverages) and other low viscosity non starchy foods (e.g. with hydrocolloids & proteins).

Also optimized for the widest viscosity range (up to 25,000 cP at 160 rpm).

High viscosity applications include extruded and cooked foods (e.g. ready to eat breakfast cereals, snack foods, pet foods, fish feeds and animal feeds), reliability tests (e.g. process cheese, chocolate, and confectionery) and high solids and high viscosity modified starches (e.g. substituted and cross-linked cook up food starches).

RVA-TecMaster

A fully featured viscometer for analyzing most samples. It covers the mid-viscosity range (20 - 8,000 cP at 160 rpm). General purpose applications include starches and starchy samples, hydrocolloids, proteins, formulated, cooked and extruded foods and “Miniature Pilot Plant” small scale process emulation.

RVA-StarchMaster2

The easy to operate, stand alone (no computer or software required), economical viscometer for routine analysis of most samples. It covers the mid-viscosity range (20 - 8,000 cP at 160 rpm). Routine applications include starches and starchy samples, hydrocolloids, proteins, formulated, cooked and extruded foods, flour, and grain quality.

RVA Viscometer Accessories  

Robot Dispenser

The Robot Dispenser is an automated sample weigher and dispenser to accompany the Rapid Visco Analyser. Simply scoop sample into an RVA can, and the Robot Dispenser dispenses the correct amount of water into the can. 

Sample cans & stirring paddles

Box of 200 cans and paddles in a dispenser box for convenient storage and access

Calibration check starch

Standard test starch ensures that the RVA is operating within specifications in compliance with the principles of Good Laboratory Practice. The test starch is supplied in sachets to maximize shelf life and for convenient storage. (Pack of ten for small users, and a more economical pack of 50.)

NIST calibration check oil

NIST certified oil for monitoring instrument performance and 
compliance with calibration to meet the principles of Good 
Laboratory Practice.

Coated cans & paddles for broad-spectrum resistance

Tests of some types of modified starches, meals and food preparations are best carried out under significantly acid or alkaline conditions, or in the presence of heavy metals. Sicpa Buff coated canisters impart broad spectrum resistance, including at high and low pH, at an economical price.

High-Temperature cans & paddles

Tests run at temperatures above 100°C, in the RVA 4800, requires special cans and paddles. A practical tray of 42 high temperature cans and paddles is available.

RVA Handbook

Published by AACC International, the RVA Handbook helps you to review the scope of applications available, guides you when developing new applications, or improving existing ones, and helps you to interpret RVA test results. With this book, you can avoid the pitfalls, get up to speed quickly with your application, and find inspiration for adapting the RVA to new uses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operation and handling:

Operating the RVA viscometer

The steps in detail

1. Select Method
   Open the appropriate RVA method in TCW software or select the appropriate RVA method using the instrument keypad if using a stand alone RVA.
2. Weighing
   Accurately weigh your sample and water using an electronic balance. Add first the water and then the sample into the canister.
3. Mixing
   Place a paddle into the canister, mix and push down any sample lumps.
4. Inserting
   Slide the paddle into the RVA motor coupling.
5. Starting
   Depress the tower to lower the canister into the RVA and start the test.
6. Measuring
   The viscosity of the sample will be graphed on the monitor or on the display if using a stand alone RVA.
7. Result
   The test will end automatically and analysis results will be reported. 

RVA Instructional Video

Watch the RVA Instructional Video (on YouTube)

Instructional video for the Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA). Viscometer with programmable temperature and shear.

 

Specifications

	RVA 4800	RVA 4500	RVA- TecMaster	RVA- StarchMaster2
Power Requirements:	240 VAC, 3,5 A, 50/60 Hz / 115 VAC, 5 A, 50/60 Hz
Input/Output	USB port, RS232 serial port		USB for PC, LIMS, USB drive, label printer, keyboard, barcode scanner
Dimensions:  (HxWxD)	382x306x345  mm	382x306x345  mm	320x254x398  mm	320x254x398  mm
Net Weight:	19 kg	18 kg	18 kg	18 kg
Temperature Range:	0-140°C	0-99.9°C
Heating/Cooling Rate:	Up to 14°C/minute (infinitely variable).
Coolant Consumption:	Water, 1 l/min at cooling, 100-250 kPa.*
Speed Range:	Computer controlled infinitely variable 0,20 – 2000 rpm
Viscosity Range:	20-50,000 cP  at 80 rpm,  10-25,000 cP  at 160 rpm	20-50,000 cP  at 80 rpm,  10-25,000 cP  at 160 rpm	40-16,000 cP  at 80 rpm,  20-8,000 cP  at 160 rpm
Viscosity Accuracy:	+/- 2% for S2000 oil nom. 5000 cP.		+/- 3% for S2000 oil nom. 5000 cP.

* Chilled coolant required for cooling below room temperature.

 

 

Customer Support Packages

Our support packages are designed to keep your instrument operating at optimal performance.

Regular maintenance of the RVA ensures issues are identified and rectified before they cause problems. This ensures that your RVA produces accurate results that are comparable with other RVAs around the world, and comparable over the lifetime of your RVA. All services such as preventive maintenance, technical support and software updates, are bundled into what we call support packages.

Different customers have different needs, and we offer two different levels of support packages, as described below. When you subscribe to a package, you pay a flat rate once per year for all support and service included in the package. All support and service is of course also available on an a la carte basis.

The support packages are available in most regions and is gradually implemented in more geographies around the globe. Contact your local Perten Instruments office for availability in your region, pricing and additional information. The content may vary locally. Ask your local Perten Instruments office for the brochure that applies in your country.

Extended package

The most economical package includes items such as a preventive maintenance service, Calibration against certified standards, technical support via phone and e-mail and Perten software updates.

Comprehensive package

Just as the name implies, the Comprehensive package includes all features of the Extended package with additional all inclusive benefits such as spare parts, unscheduled repair costs, next day service and hence maximized up-time reassurance.