Water-Based Adhesives Moisture
Profits, Quality & Efficiency
It may seem counter intuitive that moisture control in water-based adhesives requires perhaps more accuracy and precision than in solvent-based adhesives. However, water-based adhesives moisture plays a role not only in adhesive and final product quality, but in the production process, as well.
Manufacturers of water-based adhesives and of products utilizing water-based adhesive technology during production can eliminate time-consuming and costly inefficiencies during production by controlling moisture. Controlling water-based adhesives moisture will:
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- Increase Overall Manufacturing Productivity
- Improve Adhesive and/or Final Product Quality
- Minimize Waste and Scrap
- Lower Energy Consumption
- Reduce Environmental Hazards
- Optimize Production Processes
- Ultimately, Save Money
Optimize Production: Instant ROI
If you can measure moisture at any point, or better yet, throughout the adhesive-manufacturing process, your production operators have the opportunity to control moisture. By measuring adhesive moisture continuously, your production operators have the opportunity to control final adhesive quality in addition to improving production efficiency as described above. However, of the technologies and devices available on the market today, which should you choose to measure water-based adhesive moisture?
PERFORMANCE
Unsurpassed in performance, our sensors can accurately measure moisture within tenths of a percent of most applications
STABILITY
MoistTech sensors withstand the test of time and are low to zero maintenance
RELIABILITY
Rely on MoistTech’s NIR moisture sensors to never drift or need re-calibration
COST OF OWNERSHIP
A moisture measurement system is essential for the production process and in some cases will pay for itself in less than 30 days
Water-Based Coatings:
Converters utilize various applicators for water-based coatings based on their specific requirements. These applicators can include roll, spray, doctor blades, dip, air knives, and other methods. The coatings will have a fixed liquid/solids ratio depending on the product. The moisture absorption in the Near Infrared (NIR) region of the light spectrum can be used to measure the wet end water-based coating. This measurement provides information on the amount of dry end coating deposited on the paper after passing through the dryer, with measurements typically taken in engineering units such as #/ream, GSM, mils, or other units.
MoistTech’s IR3000 is a near-infrared (NIR) sensor designed for controlling the converting process by analyzing incoming raw materials, re-moisturizing stations, coating or drying, leading to cost reduction and process efficiency optimization. Paper, being cellulose-based and hydroscopic, absorbs moisture. The moisture content in paper typically ranges between 4 and 7% depending on the ambient humidity. Adjusting moisture levels during the converting process can be expensive, making precise measurements and controls crucial for enhancing efficiency. Monitoring coat weight thickness on paper not only minimizes waste but also enhances coating uniformity. In a standard setup, stand-alone MoistTech’s moisture sensors are placed at the center of the web or in a series on the left, right, and center. While this setup is beneficial for converters, it may leave certain areas of the web unmonitored, potentially leading to unnoticed issues in the future.
What is the Solution?
MoistTech’s on-line moisture sensors facilitate the rapid initiation of operations, enhance production output, minimize waste, and enable the storage of data based on rolls or production runs for traceability purposes. The Ethernet-based data archiving feature allows for the correlation of production batches with modifications made to unit operations, setups, operators, or work shifts, ensuring effective quality control. In the absence of an on-line measurement system, the line must be started, a sample collected, and sent to the factory laboratory for analysis before any system adjustments can be made. This manual process is then repeated until the line operates efficiently. However, with the implementation of an on-line system, this entire process is carried out in real-time, resulting in heightened efficiency and significant cost savings.
Develop
A closed loop process is achieved by incorporating a moisture measurement system into the manufacturing process. Developing a proactive solution to moisture control will avoid costly downfalls.
Support
MoistTech’s experts will assess your specific application with lab tests, calibrations and accuracy results to ensure our equipment will peform for you. All of our sensors are pre-calibrated prior to being shipped to create a plug-and-play operation for the end-user.
Contact
We offer service and support throughout the world for our moisture measurement sensors and would be happy to connect you with a rep in your area. Contact us today for more information!
Understand the Process
Having the precise moisture levels of paper products in converting operations, newsprint, tissue and corrugated liner pulp has become a critical component during production. Paper can easily become either too wet or too dry wasting manufacturers time or money. With the help of industry partners and 30 years of knowledge, MoistTech has developed the IR 3000 moisture sensor which is ideally suited to measure the moisture levels as well as water and solvent based coatings and coat weight thicknesses during the paper/converting process, improving manufactures product quality and increased productivity within substantial cost savings.