Leather Moisture Applications
NIR Moisture Control
Leather production involves complex multi-step processes and sub-processes. Many of these contain production points at which temperature, moisture content, and associated pH levels, must be precisely controlled. Production points that require such control may be found in Soaking, Hair Removal, Liming, Deliming, Pickling, Depickling, Tanning, Basification, Sammying, Setting, Retanning, Neutralization, Drying, and Conditioning. Failure to adequately control temperature, moisture, and associated factors may result in product and raw material waste, re-work, decreased productivity, and increased production costs. Leather moisture plays a significant role in the production process which is often overlooked.
MoistTech, with 40 years of knowledge and the assistance of industry partners, has developed the IR-3000 moisture sensor. The IR-3000 is ideally suited to measure moisture levels in the harsh environments found in leather production. Utilizing the IR-3000 to optimize process control improves your product quality, increases productivity, and decreases production costs.
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non-contact
Our equipment never comes into contact with the product, allowing for less waste
zero drift
Our sensors are guaranteed not to drift over time – which saves time and money
closed loop
Create a closed-loop process by tying a moisture sensor into your PLC. Full control over the line!
no recalibrations
We’ve mastered the art of moisture sensors – your unit will never need to be recalibrated for the same product twice!
Installing a MoistTech Sensor
There are many key processes in leather production where you will find the leather moisture sensor to be essential. Usage opportunities increase when you consider the capability of the IR-3000 to measure water and solvent-based coating thickness, measure resin content, and monitor temperature. The measurement of coating thickness is especially critical in the leather finishing processes. Finishing full-grain leathers may involve the application of polymer or wax finishes. Corrected grain leather finishing may involve procedures such as the application of basecoats, pigment coats, and topcoats.
Our sensor calibrations, measurement wavelengths, algorithms, and sensor optical requirements are pre-set at the factory. Once installed, you can continuously monitor the process and control moisture content in real-time.
Typical moisture accuracy is about ± 0.05%, with coating accuracy varying from 0.1 to 0.01 micron, depending on the coating type. Typical analog range is 0-10% moisture. The outputs can be adjusted to optimize PLC or recording requirements.
Assess
Locate the point in the production process in which measuring moisture will be the most crucial and beneficial. Identify how you will use the moisture measurement data for improvements and if it will tie into your PLC.
Remember this could involve more than one installation point!
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!