Why the 5? Five things to know about the AQUALAB 5TE
Zach Cartwright, principal food scientist, and Mary Galloway, lab director, introduce the AQUALAB 5TE in this webinar and answer one question – why the 5?
The short answer is that the 5TE was redesigned around how labs actually work. It keeps the accuracy that customers trust in the AQUALAB 3 and AQUALAB 4TE, and it responds to years of feedback about data access, calibration downtime, and audit readiness.
The five things, in short
- Interface. A 7-inch, glove-ready touchscreen with built-in tutorials, a language setting for each user, and plug-and-play USB peripherals such as barcode scanners and keyboards.
- Compliance and data. The 5TE is built around Title 21 CFR Part 11, the FDA rule on electronic records and signatures. Role-based permissions and searchable audit trails mean every result can be traced to the person, the time, and the conditions behind it. Logged records cannot be edited.
- Calibration. BlockSwap lets you replace the measurement block with a pre-calibrated one on site. The swap takes about a minute, compared with days or weeks when an instrument has to be shipped away. Guided verification runs on the instrument itself.
- Durability. Corrosion-resistant thermopile plating protects the sensor from volatile samples such as spices and flavorings. Health diagnostics flag problems early, so you know whether you need a cleaning or a repair.
- Speed. Water activity (aw) and moisture content in as little as 60 seconds, with audio and visual feedback. Moisture content is calculated from your product's isotherm model in AQUALAB Cloud.
What happens to the data
A reading is only the first step. The webinar previews how connected measurements from AQUALAB Cloud can be exported to the analysis tool of your choice, with four examples across R&D, production, quality, and packaging.
Our next webinar goes deeper on AQUALAB Cloud. [Add registration link and date.]
See the 5TE for yourself
Existing AQUALAB 3 and AQUALAB 4TE customers can talk with their account executive about what an upgrade means for their team. New to AQUALAB? An advisor can put the 5TE in your hands and walk through your workflow.
Frequently asked questions
Will I lose my historical data if I move to the 5TE?
No. Data from earlier AQUALAB instruments carries forward. SKALA data can be imported into AQUALAB Cloud, and new readings are pulled in periodically. Historical and 5TE results appear in one application in chronological order.
What should I compare when choosing a water activity meter?
Look beyond the accuracy spec. Check how the sensor measures aw, how long the manufacturer has been doing it, and how easily you can verify, document, and analyze your data. Some sensors infer aw indirectly, and those inferences may not hold up over time.
Why measure water activity if I already track moisture content?
Moisture content tells you how much water is in a product. Water activity tells you what that water can do. As aw rises, products become more prone to microbial, chemical, enzymatic, and textural change, so it adds information that moisture content alone cannot.
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