IMPS-4400 Online RF Moisture Sensor Array
True Moisture Profiling for Paper & Board Products
The Sensortech Instant Moisture Profiling System (IMPS-4400) is a non-contact RF moisture profiling system for board manufacturers to improve and optimize production processes and meet quality standards, reduce energy costs, increase productivity, and generate revenue. The IMPS-4400 utilizes radio frequency antennas to analyze board moisture characteristics below the surface, which is critical information to ensure consistent quality of finished boards.
Features
- RF dielectric measurement provides a true moisture profile
- Non-contact multi-sensor profiling array
- Easy communication between profiler and an HMI system
- Proprietary software offering board product diagnostics
- Data-logging and trend time plot for statistical analysis
Benefits
- Total Moisture Control: IMPS-4400 delivers the most advanced level of direct moisture profiling with an accuracy range of ±0.05%, helping operators make data-driven decisions to manage board quality
- Powerful Visual Insights on Your Process: Proprietary software provides multiple graphical representations of moisture distribution for individual boards entering or exiting a kiln or dryer, helping mediate energy expenses
- Integrate Into Your Process Control System: Integrating the IMPS-4400 into your process provides advanced profiling features for moisture management across multiple decks
Applications
Penetrating RF Moisture Analysis
The IMPS-4400 is engineered specifically for board manufacturers in a wide range of industries.
- Construction/Building Materials: Drywall, hardboard, particle board, gypsum/fiber board, cement/fiber board
- Wood Manufacturing: Hardwood veneers, plywood veneers, dimensional lumber
- Paper Manufacturing: Cardboard, laminates, pulp bales, sheets
How It Works
The IMPS-4400 is mounted directly between rollers in a conveying board process line, with individual sensors mounted in an array spanning the width of the total board line. As a board passes through a conveyor – either heading to or leaving a dryer or kiln – the IMPS-4400 transmits RF signals from the array of sensors, which capture up to 30 moisture readings per second.
Measurement information is displayed in proprietary software and stored in an X-Y matrix based on the amount of sensing points in a configuration. The graphs, tables, and trend charts in the software illustrate the moisture profile view from different perspectives, providing true moisture measurement in real-time.
Optional I/O for Seamless Integration
While the IMPS-4400 can operate as a standalone instrument, KPM Analytics has made it easy to integrate IMPS-4400 into your process control system through the I/O option.
The I/O option offers real-time (not latched) analog signals providing 0-10VDC and 4-20mA outputs to your processor or PLC. Additionally, logic outputs to your processor or PLC provide alarm signals indicating user defined levels of moisture and board lengths. This helps board manufacturers simplify their quality control procedures by adding moisture profiling into their process.
RF Technology
IMPS-4400 utilizes RF technology, which is a penetrating measurement method that uses radio frequency dielectric measurements to analyze the full moisture composition of the product. It is an alternative moisture measurement to near infrared (NIR) technology, which measures the surface of a product without penetrating.
Read this article for an explanation of the key differences between NIR and RF.
System Components
Installation
PRODUCT DENSITY
The example shown above illustrates two board products being measured simultaneously just beyond the exit end of the dryer. The board on the top appears to have a slightly over-dried area at its midpoint but the bottom board reveals something completely different.Plant engineers recognized this graphic as having a higher density in the blue areas as a result of the mixer earlier in the production process. They had taken their knowledge of their process and applied it to what they saw in the IMPS-4400 proprietary software and took corrective action; saving time, reducing product waste, lowering energy costs and improving overall quality.
MULTI-DECK DISPLAY
Measuring moisture across several kiln decks can be a daunting task without the assistance of the IMPS-4400. Having a comparison of multiple decks lined up at the same time yields a valuable tool for your production process. The Multi-Deck Display spotlights correlations of product inconsistency and changes the approach of handling production issues from isolated incidents to comprehensive solutions.The illustration shown identifies an issue of inconsistency across a number of decks. Prior to implementing the IMPS-4400 the issue would have gone unnoticed or caused a loss of productivity due to the time taken to draw the correlation clearly shown in the image. Fortunately, the problem had been spotlighted right away and an adjustment to the process control quickly resolved the issue.
AVERAGE MOISTURE PROFILE
The illustration shown is another example of two board products being measured simultaneously just beyond the exit end of the dryer. This is another feature of the IMPS-4400 Proprietary Software that provides another perspective of your production process. The bar graph provides a moisture profile of the two board’s width along the horizontal axis giving the average moisture content along the length of each board. The color-coded bars illuminate the moisture profile of each board with the blue representing the damp areas and the yellow and red representing the dryer areas.From this illustration, plant operators had been able to recognize both boards as having an unusually high moisture profile on the left side of each board with each having a dry core. This high moisture profile had been recognized to be a result of a mixer hydration issue and/or an issue with the water sprayer used for paper fold adhesion on the wet end of the process. Additionally, plant engineers had been able to identify a problem caused by additional heat being released from the chain side of the kiln drying process. The IMPS-4400 Proprietary Software had allowed a number of issues to be identified and corrected without the down-time normally associated with these types of problems.
MOISTURE TREND CHART
The example illustrates the moisture trend of each board set measured over time. The moisture trend can be displayed for each individual deck, multiple decks, and the average moisture of all decks for a user defined time period. Time is shown in the horizontal axis and average moisture for a board set is shown on the vertical axis. The most recent board sets measured are shown on the right side of the chart.In this example, the left side of the trend chart shows a product changeover where the kiln was emptied of product and the last boards out had a low moisture trend. The kiln was empty during the period where the trend is a horizontal line and new product appeared when the trend gapped up on the vertical axis. Note how the moisture trend for one deck started to deviate from the other decks in the middle of the chart indicating an unbalanced drying profile for that particular deck. Plant engineers recognized that this moisture profile was caused by air flow blockage, condensation of water vapour, and under-drying of boards from that deck. The plant engineers took immediate action and corrected the issue as shown in the lower moisture level trend shown in the right side of the chart.
Accessories
Software
In board manufacturing operations, having quantifiable data on moisture content before and after the drying process is essential to product quality. The proprietary software that comes with the IMPS-4400 provides multiple graphical representations of moisture distribution for individual boards, yielding extraordinary discoveries to help producers save time, reduce waste, and lower energy costs.
Visualize your production process in a way no other moisture measurement management system can offer.
- View graphic profiles in multi-deck displays, cross-direction moisture profiles, bar graphs, and more
- Dryer exit visualization shows the moisture profile of every board. As shown below, the wetter region indicated in blue on the right-lower mid decks could result in inconsistent board quality.
- The third image below illustrates the cross-board moisture profile of every deck in a 12-deck triple-wide dryer. The spread between different traces is an indication of dryer imbalance.
In board manufacturing operations, having quantifiable data on moisture content before and after the drying process is essential to product quality. The proprietary software that comes with the IMPS-4400 provides multiple graphical representations of moisture distribution for individual boards, yielding extraordinary discoveries to help producers save time, reduce waste, and lower energy costs.
Visualize your production process in a way no other moisture measurement management system can offer.
- View graphic profiles in multi-deck displays, cross-direction moisture profiles, bar graphs, and more
- Dryer exit visualization shows the moisture profile of every board. As shown below, the wetter region indicated in blue on the right-lower mid decks could result in inconsistent board quality.
- The third image below illustrates the cross-board moisture profile of every deck in a 12-deck triple-wide dryer. The spread between different traces is an indication of dryer imbalance.
Specifications
Resources
