The Power of Near-Infrared
Online NIR sensor measures moisture, coat weight, thickness and temperature to improve coating consistency and optimize drying across paper, film, foil and flexible-packaging lines
MoistTech Corp, the global leader in moisture measurement from lab to line, highlights the IR-3000C online near-infrared sensor for converting operations requiring real-time, non-contact measurement of moisture, coat weight, thickness and temperature.
In high-speed converting applications, equipment settings do not necessarily reflect the actual condition of the web. Incoming substrate variation, coating and adhesive behavior, line-speed changes, dryer conditions and environmental factors can affect moisture, coat weight and thickness during production. Without immediate feedback, these changes can contribute to material giveaway, startup scrap, inefficient drying, coating defects, curl, weak bonds and off-spec rolls.
The sensor is designed for paper, paperboard, films, foils, flexible packaging, coated products, adhesives, hot melts, glues, resins, recycled paper, wax coatings and vinyl coatings. Typical installation points include before and after coating stations, at dryer inlet and exit locations, after extrusion, and before winding or downstream converting.
More Than Moisture
For paper and paperboard converters, continuous monitoring of moisture, thickness and coat weight supports dimensional stability, strength, web quality and coating consistency. Monitoring coating application and material thickness during production can identify variation associated with excess coating use, uneven gloss, streaks, adhesion issues and rejected rolls.
For flexible-packaging converters, real-time measurements provide visibility into conditions that affect lamination strength, adhesive performance, print quality, curl, wrinkles, seal performance and finished-roll quality. Measuring substrate condition before lamination, coating or drying, and verifying the web before winding, can identify moisture-related variation before it contributes to delamination, unstable roll formation or downstream converting problems.
In coating and adhesive applications, the IR-3000-C can be configured to measure wet or dry coat weight and monitor moisture where applicable, helping operators identify coating variations and maintain more consistent application. This enables operators to reduce over-application and related material and drying costs, while avoiding under-application that can contribute to weak bonds, streaks, voids or product defects.
Plastic Moisture Applications
MoistTech Corp. manufactures advanced near-infrared (NIR) measurement and process control technology for industrial applications worldwide