Online moisture analysis for confectioner

Callidan Instruments has been approached by a Dunedin-based confectionery company interested in trialling the MoistScan MA-700 in-pipe moisture analyser.

The company prides itself on high-quality products and to improve its process control, a MoistScan MA-700 was installed on a 75 mm pipe inline which transports sweetened condensed milk.

The online moisture analyser works by transmitting a microwave signal through the material and then measuring the changes in a number of microwave properties caused by the presence of (in this case) solids. An ethernet input has been connected into the MoistScan to enable Callidan engineers to remotely access the analyser, and view and refine the performance.

Typically, the Moistscan MA-700 analyser is used to measure percentage moisture.

In this instance, Callidan Instruments recalibrated the analyser to report per cent solids as this is the normal practice on site due to the use of its existing density gauge.

To calibrate the analyser it was necessary to take a suite of samples consisting of 100 mL containers as close as practical to the analyser, which were then delivered to the laboratory for analysis of percentage solids.

The MoistScan’s raw data is recorded at the same time the sample is taken. The correlation with the MoistScan’s microwave variables was then compared to the laboratory and a subsequent calibration was determined.

Once the calibration was complete, samples were collected by the staff from the MoistScan sample point over a period of approximately three weeks to verify the calibration.

The MoistScan results were recorded at the same time of the sampling from the local display (HMI).

The MoistScan achieved very good recordings and will provide operators and process engineers a much more accurate tool for process control over the existing density measurement technique.