SVM Series: One instrument for compliant viscosity testing in pharma and food

Pharmaceutical producers, research laboratories, and manufacturers of food-grade materials rely on precise viscosity data to ensure specification compliance. Anton Paar’s SVM series provides a fully compliant alternative to manual or automated capillary viscometers for Newtonian samples, covering pharmaceutical raw materials such as white oils and excipients, cosmetic oils, as well as food-grade products, including edible oils.

Pharmacopeias including USP and Ph. Eur. permit alternative viscometers when accuracy and precision are equivalent or better than established methods or when the alternative offers advantages in automation or data integrity. SVM fulfills these criteria and delivers dynamic and kinematic viscosity (ASTM D7042), density (ASTM D4052), and viscosity index (ASTM D2270) in one measurement. In combination with Abbemat refractometers, additional parameters – refractive index (ASTM D1218), molecular weight (ASTM D2502), and carbon-type composition (ASTM D2140 and D3238) – can be obtained from the same filling.

For regulated environments, SVM complies with 21 CFR Part 11, GMP, and GAMP 5. It provides full traceability, audit trails, electronic signatures, and controlled user management. Ready-to-use pharma qualification documents reduce qualification effort by up to 60 %, enabling efficient deployment in pharmaceutical QC and R&D.

SVM also supports food applications in which viscosity impacts processing and product characteristics. Edible oils and food-grade lubricants fall within the instrument’s measurement range, enabling standard-compliant analysis using low sample volumes and short cycle times.

With a temperature range of -60°C to +135°C and a viscosity range from 0.2 mm²/s to 30 000 mm²/s, SVM is perfectly suited for industrial, academic, governmental, and clinical laboratories requiring a single instrument for robust viscosity and density analysis with complete data integrity.

“Pharmaceutical and food laboratories face increasing pressure to generate reliable viscosity data while meeting strict regulatory requirements,” said Wolfgang Jud, Product Manager for the SVM series at Anton Paar. “With SVM, users can replace traditional capillary methods with a single, fully compliant instrument that delivers viscosity, density, and derived parameters in one measurement, while ensuring data integrity, traceability, and audit readiness across both pharma and food applications.”

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