Powder/Bulk Solids Moisture Sensor

Why Moisture in Powder (Bulk Solids) Is So Critical

The product quality of many bulk solid manufacturing processes often depends on the product’s water content. Since powder and bulk solid materials often span the moisture range from 0% to over 40%, it’s imperative that an on-line moisture meter not only provide an instant moisture readout, but also accurately cover a very wide range of moisture content.

Proper moisture levels ensure:

• Maximum product flow rates
• Reduced lab work
• Lower production costs
• Less rework
• Optimal gas or electricity usage

Too much or too little water in some cases could influence:

• Powder flow
• Compaction
• Dissolve rates
• Particle structure and stability

Moisture can also influence the chemical and physical properties of individual active ingredients, leading to major issues in your final product.

There are a number of variables to consider when measuring moisture in powder and bulk solids through the manufacturing process. Minimizing the impact those variables have on the measurement is an important part of keeping your operations as seamless as possible.

Multiple Solutions

Finna Sensors’ newest NIR on-line meter, the OMNIR, meets all of these requirements and more. Laboratory Moisture Analyzers (Model MCPC, with a measurement range of 0% to 50%) and handheld moisture meters (Model DG-9, with a moisture range of 2% to 25%) are also a part of the Finna Sensors arsenal. Combined, these solutions cover all phases of the manufacturing process and ensure appropriate moisture detection from end to end.

Finna Sensors’ ability to provide instantaneous, on-line, real-time, non-contact moisture meters allow you to avoid wet product, which contributes to:

• Mold
• Microbial growth
• Excessive product weight
• Increased shipping costs
• Color, texture, taste or shelf-life degradation

Our moisture meters also prevent over-dried product, which contributes to

• Rework
• Recycle
• Wasted natural gas or electricity used for drying, dust, or particle size variation

Each manufacturing process can be accommodated: belt, screw, vibratory, bucket, chutes, and pneumatic conveying systems are all subject to on-line NIR or RF moisture measurement. Output control signals are a standard feature that permits the plant’s PLC or DCS to accept the meter’s output signal and adjust the product flow rates, dryer temperatures and dampeners to achieve optimal and continuous targeted moisture levels. These capabilities make Finna Sensors’ on-line moisture meters an invaluable and indispensable production process tool.