Cracker Moisture
Cracker moisture is essential – too little or too much can ruin the product and waste time, effort and money. MoistTech offers a solution using Near-Infrared (NIR) technology to provide a non-contact moisture measurement system that calculates hundreds of data points to provide the most accurate reading of moisture or oil content.
Through numerous years of experience and thousands of applications, MoistTech has developed the IR-3000 moisture sensor that is ideally suited to measure the cracker moisture levels during baking process. The sensor is coated in a food grade Teflon with a polymeric viewing window enabling manufacturers to improve product quality without any contamination.
Installation
By installing the MoistTech cracker moisture sensor at the exit of the ovens, close to packaging, will allow the crackers time to stabilize while cooling. Ideally, a minute after the ovens. The sensor should be installed several inches above the belt or screw conveyor so that a baker can continuously monitor the process and can control the cracker moisture content either manually or automatically in the finished product. If the crackers have gone through an oil spray, it is important to install the sensor at an angle to cut down any reflectance from the oil coating.
Environment
If the cracker moisture sensor has to be installed close to the oven outlet where it will be susceptible to extreme heat conditions, it is necessary to cool the sensor with either air or water. Furthermore, if the sensor is located near an oil spray, it is necessary to clean the sensor’s optical window during regular routine cleaning.
Benefits of Cracker Moisture Detection
- Product Quality – taste, appearance, shelf life
- Lower Energy Costs from Increased Efficiency
- Reduced Start-up Times
- Less Waste & Downtime
- Total Product Inspection
- Allows for Immediate Process Line Adjustments
The professional staff at MoistTech is very experienced with the requirements in the production of crackers. Our sensor calibrations, measurement wavelengths, algorithms and sensor optical requirements are pre-set at the factory. Typical accuracy is about ±0.1% moisture, typical analog range is 0-10% moisture. The outputs can be adjusted to optimize PLC or recording requirements.
Take a look at our other food moisture measurement applications.