Moisture measurement and control

"After searching for 20 years for reliable means of measuring moisture, temperature and density of products, Intelscan have come up with the solution for feed manufacturers. We now have an instant and continuous display of the quality of the finished product and the Intelscan unit is now an integral part of our quality system."

Chris I'Anson, Chairman, I'Anson Bros Ltd.

Rising costs of raw materials increases the demand for product optimization and yields within the millingindustry. The means of accurately controlling the moisture content within a batch flow process has been finally solved. Continuous monitoring of water content after mixing allows an automatic dosing of precise amount of water needed so that the product can stay within the fixed target level.

DSL Systems are the UK's sole supplier of Intelscan's microwave system which allows measurement of moisture, density and temperature in process, on line and in real time. You can now produce to a target moisture level on a continuous basis for great financial benefits, and achieve consistent quality. This patented method uses microwaves with filtering that increases accuracy and reduces measurement errors from reflections. With a special filter reflector, this method has double transmission. This is a considerable improvement compared with conventional microwave moisture measurement systems.

The product is measured for moisture content after it exits the main mixer or conditioner. Any additional moisture required to attain the declared level is injected at the press conditioner or fats coater.

When included with the AutoPilot4Feed control system, a feed-back loop is created that enables the system to correct any raw material moisture deficiencies atalaterstage in the process.

During a 10 day production period, the average level of moisture was 13.7%  Overall, an additional 0.4% moisture was required to achieve the formulated level for the finished product.

During the 10 day production period, 2,524 tones of feed was produced, out of which an extra 9.56 tones of liquid  was included to achieve the required level.

Figures provided should indicate a payback time for moisture control for less than 3 months in an average sized feed mill.

For further information see www.intelscan.is.