An important indicator for measuring the physical properties of grains and feed

Hardness is an important indicator for measuring the physical properties of grains and feeds, and it is directly related to the processing adaptability of grains, the palatability of feeds and their storage stability. During the production, transportation and use of grains and feed, their hardness can affect processing efficiency (such as grain dehulling and feed pelletizing) and the feeding effect of animals. Therefore, precise determination of hardness is of great significance. The determination of the hardness of grains and feed usually adopts the automatic hardness tester method. The hardness is characterized by detecting the maximum force required to break the grains or feed. The more stable the test value and the smaller the error, the higher the reference value of the test result.

The ability of grains and feed to resist external forces without being crushed is called their hardness. In practical applications, hardness indicators are mainly used in two scenarios: one is the grain processing scenario, for instance, the hardness of wheat affects the flour yield and quality, and the hardness of corn is related to the efficiency of starch extraction; Secondly, in the feed production scenario, if the feed pellets are too hard, it will cause difficulties for animals to chew and reduce the digestion and absorption rate. If they are too hard, they are prone to breaking during transportation and generating dust. If they are too soft, they are likely to clump and deteriorate. For instance, when feed mills produce pellet feed for livestock and poultry, they need to keep the hardness within a reasonable range (usually 3-8kg) to balance animal feeding and product stability. The grain purchasing department also assesses the maturity and storage potential of grains by measuring their hardness.

The ST120B automatic hardness tester is a professional device specially designed for hardness testing of grains and feed. It adopts high-precision pressure sensors and a single-chip microcomputer control system, capable of automatically completing force value detection and data processing. This equipment is suitable for feed companies, agricultural colleges and universities, agricultural product quality inspection departments and grain and oil enterprises, and can be used to measure the hardness of samples such as corn, wheat and pellet feed. Its working principle is as follows: Pressure is applied uniformly through the motor feed mechanism. When the grain or feed reaches the maximum load-bearing capacity and breaks, the equipment automatically records the force value at this time, which is the hardness value of the sample. Meanwhile, the equipment can automatically calculate the maximum value, minimum value, average value and standard deviation of multiple groups of samples, and output the results through a thermal micro printer, providing reliable data basis for the quality control of grains and feed.