Oriented Strand Board (OSB) Moisture Sensor

Why moisture measurement matters in OSB

Oriented strand board (OSB) is one of the most widely-used engineered wood products. Because it is commonly used for structural components, the regulations on OSB producers are stricter to ensure quality. Key points of continuous monitoring in the process include: log sorts by species and size, strand size and thickness, moisture content after the dryer, the consistency of blended strands with resin and wax, the characteristics of the mat prior to and just after the forming machine, the press and its various set points, as well as, the shape, appearance and quality of the final product. Failure to control these critical processing points result in delamination, warp, “blows” and downgraded strength ratings.

Where on the OSB line to place the OMNIR moisture sensor

Finna Sensors provides its near infrared moisture sensor, OMNIR, to give critical processing feedback to plant operators. The most common location to install OMNIR is a fixed sensing point on the forming line, just prior to the press. It is here that OMNIR will identify excess moisture that can lead to problems at the press. Alarms can be set to quickly notify when conditions are outside of set limits. OMNIR will also conduct regular self-checks to ensure the unit stays in calibration. Because of its unique and proprietary optics, TrueOptics™, OMNIR can operate in dusty environments. In the case that dust becomes prohibitive, the sensor will trigger an alarm.

Other locations can be installed with OMNIR, including before and after resin and wax blending, as well as pre-drying at the wet bins and after the strand dryer. OMNIR’s software can be configured to display data in advanced analytical charts and graphs. Additionally, all of the data can be easily networked to larger plant-wide systems, as well as pushed to the cloud.