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Systematic moisture measurement – contactless, inline, reliable

GreCon MOISTURECONTROL

Home Measuring Technology Products MOISTURECONTROL

Moisture affects the quality, energy consumption and yield of materials and end products. MOISTURECONTROL measures inline, automatically and precisely – for stable processes from bulk material to finished wood-based panels. Two technologies, one goal: optimum moisture values in every process step.

Your added value with GreCon MOISTURECONTROL

  • Continuous monitoring of material moisture
  • Avoid rejects and drying errors
  • Increase process stability
  • Non-contact measurement without line stoppage
  • Two technologies: microwave (MW) and infrared (IR)
  • Contactless or with sensor in the material
  • High repeat accuracy (± 0.1%)
  • Independent of colour, density or surface
  • Energy savings through optimised drying
  • Easy integration and ATEX option

When was the last time you produced too much moisture?

Moisture deviations lead to deformation, rework or rejects – especially in wood-based materials, insulation materials or fibreboard. MOISTURECONTROL detects these deviations early on – before they have costly consequences. It is GreCon's modular solution for moisture measurement in your production – consisting of two types of technology.

MOISTURECONTROL comparison – which solution is right for your line?

CriterionMOISTURECONTROL MWMOISTURECONTROL IR
Measuring principleMicrowave penetrationNear-infrared reflection
Measuring directionThrough the material (top & bottom, optional contactless)From above (one-sided, contactless)
Typical applicationBulk material (chips, fibres), slabsMoulded mats, slab surface
Material contact permittedYes (sensor variants with contact and contactless)No
Installation positionIn drop chutes, screws, spreader head, after dryerOver conveyor belt, mat feed, before press
ATEX zone suitabilityOptionally availableOptionally available
Temperature range MaterialUp to 140 °C (with compensation)Up to 90 °C
Measuring frequencyUp to 1,000 measurements/secondUp to 7,000 measurements/minute
AdvantagesCompact, versatile integration, close to the process Drift-freelow maintenance, ideal for surface evaluation

Perfect for measuring in bulk material flows (chips, fibres) or on plates. The system uses penetration measurement and provides average values from the core and surface. Ideal for:

  • Bunkers, screw conveyors, drop chutes
  • Before/after the dryer
  • Spreader heads and cooler outlet
  • Mat forming or grinding line

Special features:

  • Contact and non-contact sensor variants
  • Temperature compensation up to 140°C
  • ATEX protection class optional
  • Measuring rate: up to 1,000 measurements/second

Non-contact surface measurement for running material webs or on conveyor belts. Typical applications:

  • Inlet/outlet dryers
  • Mould mats in OSB/PB/MDF production
  • Adhesive dosing, spreading or press feed
  • Special features:
  • Dual detector for drift-free long-term measurement
  • Internal reference standard
  • Measuring distance: 250 mm
  • Measures moisture levels from 0–150% atro

 

Both systems are process-robust, deliver precise real-time data – directly on the line, without interrupting the production flow – and can be easily integrated into the control system.

GreCon MOISTURE CONTROL MW installed on a production line
Gre­Con MOIS­TU­RE­CON­TROL MW Penetrating inline moisture measurement using microwave technology
Gre-Con MOISTURE CONTROL MW Side view in a continuous production line

MOISTURECONTROL MW Product details

Determine product moisture immediately and precisely

Wherever high accuracy in product moisture is required, an inline moisture measurement system provides the operator with the necessary information.

The constant availability of product data enables rapid intervention in the production process, thus ensuring a high standard of quality. The moisture content of the material used or produced is of crucial importance, as it must be neither too wet nor too dry, regardless of the application.

  • Extremely fast and accurate moisture determination
  • No influence from the colour and shape of the material to be measured
  • Density-independent
  • Long-term stability
  • Fast and timely detection of faults
  • Depending on customer requirements, either measurement with direct contact to the material being measured or contactless
  • Contactless measurement even of web-shaped materials
  • Can be used for discontinuous and continuous material flow
  • Continuous control of moisture content in roll goods

The measuring systems in the MOISTURECONTROL MW series deliver the usual impressive, precise measurement results. Measurements are taken inline, regardless of the density, surface structure and colour of the material being measured.

Due to the high penetration depth of the microwave field/signal into the product, all physically bound water is detected via the detuning and attenuation of the sensor's resonance frequency.

The measurements are taken either by contact between the material being measured and the measuring head/sensor or contactlessly by guiding it through a gap sensor. The contactless measurement method can be used for both discontinuous and continuous material flow.

MOISTURECONTROL IR Product details

117 moisture measurements per second

When manufacturing building materials such as wood-based panels, the moisture content of the material used is of crucial importance. The raw material must be neither too moist nor too dry. If the raw material is too moist, this will inevitably lead to a reduction in quality and possibly slower production speeds. If it is too dry, energy will have been wasted in the drying process. This also applies to other bulk materials such as pellets, animal feed, recycled materials and other biomass.

 

 

  • Prevention of production errors due to incorrect moisture content
  • Non-contact measuring system, measurement inside a bunker/screw conveyor through a glass pane
  • Best measurement quality thanks to 7,000 measurements per minute
  • Drift-free measurement through the use of dual detector technology
  • Measuring system is delivered pre-calibrated
  • Automatic checking of the stability of the measuring device by means of an internal reference standard
  • Comprehensive monitoring of the degree of contamination of the measuring window
  • Easy integration into existing networks thanks to a variety of interfaces
  • The measuring device can also be used in ATEX Zone 22 as an option

The GreCon MOISTURECONTROL IR non-contact inline measuring system works with an optical sensor. It uses light in the NIR range, which has the property of being absorbed by material moisture. This means that the wetter the material being measured, the less light is reflected. The light beam emitted by a halogen lamp (1) is split into several measuring beams (4) and reference beams (5) by a mirror-lens combination (2).

The beams are passed through a filter wheel (3) to filter out the unwanted spectral ranges of light. What remains are light beams in the NIR range, which are directed onto the material to be measured. The light, which is reflected to a greater or lesser extent depending on the moisture content, is compared in the measuring head with the previously generated reference beams and used to determine the material moisture content. The division into several measuring and reference beams and the dual detector principle (6) ensure high system stability and measuring accuracy, independent of external influences.

MOISTURECONTROL IR is delivered pre-calibrated and features a touch display for calibrating and configuring the moisture measurement system.

 

The MOISTURECONTROL IR moisture measuring system consists of a non-contact measuring head and a connection box that provides the power supply and interfaces. The software for visualising the measured values and calibrating the measuring device is integrated in the measuring head and can be operated via a web browser.

With the aid of a suitable glass pane, inline moisture measurement is also possible during product transport in closed conveyor systems. The measured data can be transmitted via a network connection to a higher-level process control system for display in the control room.

Analogue outputs and programmable digital contacts are available for additional control tasks. The measuring head and connection box are dust and water repellent. Appropriate accessories are available for applications in very extreme ambient temperatures. Up to 80 different system settings can be stored in the product memory. This allows adaptation to different recipes.

Optionally, the measuring device can be equipped with an operating display, which can be installed near the measuring head.

Drawing of an optical sensor
GreCon MOISTURECONTROL IR works with an optical sensor. Light in the NIR range is used for this purpose, which is absorbed by the moisture in the material. The wetter the material, the less light is reflected.

Your advantages at a glance

Before:

  • Manual laboratory samples, not representative
  • Energy losses due to over- or under-drying
  • Inconsistent product quality, rejects

After:

  • Precise inline values, continuous & traceable
  • Optimised energy and material consumption
  • More stable processes and lower complaint rate

Integration of MOISTURECONTROL into a standard process

  • Analysis of the production line and material flows
  • Selection of the appropriate technology (MW or IR)
  • Sensor integration and interface connection
  • System setup, calibration and training
  • Visualisation in the process control system and QA connection

We look forward to hearing from you.

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