NIR Moisture Analyzers Provide Immediate Measurement On-Line, At-Line, and In-Line

May 20, 2013 By Leave a Comment

The classic laboratory method of measuring moisture in solid or semi-solid materials is loss on drying (LOD). In this technique a sample of material is weighed, heated in an oven for an appropriate period, cooled in the dry atmosphere of a desiccator, and then reweighed. If the volatile content of the solid is primarily water, the LOD technique gives a good measure of moisture content. Karl Fisher and other methods may also be used for more complicated sample matrices.  While these methods are accurate, they can be tedious and slow when operating a process line.

Process Sensors offers the MCT360 NIR moisture analyzers for process applications and the MCT660 Bench Top for at-line and laboratory applications.  Please contact us today to discuss Near Infrared moisture analyzers at 508.473-9901.

 

 

Filed Under: Content, Dryer Exit Moisture Tagged With:

Process Moisture Sensors Reduce Energy Costs and Increase Productivity at Dryer Exit

May 20, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Moisture sensors can be employed in feedback or feed forward control schemes to optimize dryer operation.  Process Sensors offers both the MCT360 Near Infrared (NIR) transmitter and the RFM-1000 Radio Frequency transmitter to meet your needs.

Feedback control is generally employed when the dryer inlet incoming raw material moisture is relatively uniform.  Feed forward control is employed when the inlet material has a wide variance in moisture due to either the product nature or batch variances.   Moisture Sensors improve dryer operation.

Please contact Process Sensors to discuss your application at 508.473-9901.

 

Moisture control at dryer exit

Feed Back Moisture Control

 

 

Controlling dryer exit moisture with feed forward control

Feed Forward Moisture Control at Dryer Exit

 

 

Filed Under: Content, Dryer Control, Dryer Exit Moisture Tagged With:

PSTC (Pressure Sensitive Tape Council) Tape Summit 2013 May 13-17 New Orleans

May 6, 2013 By Leave a Comment

PSTC’s Tape Summit 2013 gives professionals unprecedented opportunities to build their pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) tape knowledge. This industry-focused event provides segmented and flexible learning options to help you formulate the most effective educational experience possible.

Tape Summit 2013

May 13-17

Sheraton New Orleans Hotel
New Orleans, LA
Click here for hotel information.

Process Sensors will be presenting a paper on Controlling Steam Re-moisturizers to Reduce Edge Curl on Thursday, May 16th at 11 a.m. We will also present our NIR transmitter and Guardian Cross Direction Web Profile System at Booth #46 during the exhibit portion of the Tape Summit.  Please come visit us!

PSTC Tape Summit New Orleans

Filed Under: Content, Converting, Film, Guardian Cross Direction Web Profile System, Hot Melt Thickness Measurement, Web Profiles Tagged With: ,

Hot Melt Measurement with Near Infrared (NIR) Transmitter

May 6, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Hot Melt Cross Direction Web Profile

Hot Melt Measurement Transmitter

Hot Melt Measurements are typically measured with Near Infrared (NIR) transmitters that provide a digital display in engineering units, analog outputs and a digital interface.  The NIR non-contacting Hot Melt measurement is extremely accurate and stable with no regulatory requirements.  The measurement can be fixed point or scan across the web to provide a cross direction web profile.

Click Here for MCT360 Fixed Point Hot Melt Transmitter

Click Here for Guardian Cross Direction Web Profile System Brochure

Paraffin Wax is largely accepted as the first hot melt coating application. Polymer and copolymer resins brought a host of formulations for improved performance properties that continue to expand the horizons of Hot Melt applications. Typical Hot Melt chemistry is designed to provide strength and flexibility, tackiness for bonding and speed of set in relatively even proportions.

Polymer strength and flexibility, bonding tackiness, set speed for hot melts.

Hot Melt Composition Contributions

Roll Coaters, Die Coaters, extruders, and doctor blade configurations are among the methods of applying hot melt adhesive. Roll coaters offer more flexibility than die application methods as they change over more quickly and allow for stripe coating. Die Coaters offer more precision across the web, especially in the 15 to 20 GSM. Hot melt applications of 100 GSM are very common and therange can go from 0-400 GSM.

Melt coating dies vary from 100mm to 3m, depending on the application. The greater the number of dies, the greater the control across the substrate web to achieve set point. When dies malfunction or get contaminated, they need to be detected, maintained or replaced.

The Guardian CD Web Profile System provides a Cross Direction web profile on a 19” flat panel LCD in an economical and attractive enclosure. The Guardian is fully automated with recipes for web width, scan speed, zone average, and data logging digital outputs. This is a complete system to provide the highest value performance to cost ratio. The system can supply CD Web Profiles and MD Trends for hot melt thickness, moisture and temperature. Multiple measurements can be mounted on a single screen.

Thickness, moisture and temperature profiles

Multiple Profiles on Single Display

 

Filed Under: Content, Converting, Film, Guardian Cross Direction Web Profile System, Hot Melt Thickness Measurement, Web Profiles Tagged With:

Wood Board Moisture Measurement Critical to Board Quality

April 22, 2013 By Leave a Comment
MCT360-WP Measures Wood Moisture

Wood Product Moisture Transmitter

Wood board moisture is critical in the press and manufacture of wood board products.  Waste wood is dried and resin added prior to the press to insure quality board.  If the wood is over dried potential fires can result.  If the wood is under dried, boards can blow up in the press section interrupting production.

NIR transmitters work in the Near Infrared (NIR) region (1200 – 2400 nm), selecting narrow band pass filters that allow specific wavelengths to be utilized for the measurement. The NIR is above the UV (sunburn) and Visible (what you see) colors of light, and below the IR (temperature) region of light.

Moisture absorbs light at 1420 and 1940 nm and one or both of these wavelengths are used as the “Measure Wavelength”. The more water present in the material, the less light reflected back at the water wavelength.   Similarly, resin is measured at 1760 or 2340 nm.  One or two non-absorbing wavelengths are chosen as “Reference Wavelengths”.

An algorithm (math equation) compares the values and provides an accurate and linear measurement of moisture. The Spectra below show relative absorbance for different parameters . Wood board moisture measurement is critical to board quality.

Moisture and Resin Spectra in Wood

Wood Moisture and Resin Spectra

Filed Under: Content, Wood Products Tagged With: ,

Boston Marathon Explosions

April 15, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Explosion at Boston Marathon

Boston Marathon Explosion 041513

Process Sensors is located in Milford, Mass. approximately 3 miles from the start of the Boston Marathon in Hopkinton, Mass.  Two explosions at the end of the marathon in Copley Place  Boston have killed at least two and injured at least 30.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to those injured today as we await news of what happened this afternoon in Boston.

 

 

Filed Under: Content
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