When thinking about moisture measurement in the wood industry, it is best to remember the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears: not too much, not too little, but just right. If wood pellets have even slightly too much or too little moisture, it can completely change the product, leading to material waste, lower quality and even fire risks. With so much at stake, it is important to take moisture measurement seriously. MoistTech’s NIR moisture sensor can measure moisture of wood pellets quickly and accurately to ensure your product remains at top quality.
Moisture Challenges Faced by the Wood Industry
Challenges with Dry Wood
There are several steps in the wood pellet manufacturing process, and it is critical to measure moisture at each step to pelletization. Incorrect moisture can affect the specs for quality assurance. If the wood is too dry, it can create a dusty environment, which is a fire hazard. A product that is too dry can also prevent the pellets from compacting correctly and molding together properly. This results in a product that cannot hold its shape and breaks easily.
Challenges with Moist Wood
On the other end of the spectrum, if the product is too wet, it can cause the pelletizer to clog, which shuts down the production line and leads to product waste. A change in moisture content of as little as 1% can make a difference in product quality, appearance and machine production rates. In the case of wood chips, there is a natural variation in moisture content. Most chip purchasers weigh the wet chips, but pay suppliers based on dry chips delivered. The weather, season and supplier can all affect the moisture of incoming wood from a storage yard. Load operators find moisture management to be beneficial because the sensors are installed on the screen infeed conveyor, so they can control the level of the steam shower during the production process to match the actual conditions of the fibers.
How Moisture Affects Wood Production
Managing moisture content in wood products is one of the greatest issues faced by the wood industry. Unwanted moisture causes large impacts on the final product, and it can interfere with production. Measuring and managing moisture lowers waste, increases efficiency and reduces downtime. MoistTech’s NIR sensor allows for moisture content to be measured at multiple production points, while giving operating personnel the ability to easily adjust levels based on real-time information. Moisture can affect every aspect of the wood product, including strength, drying, glue curing and bond performance. Incorrect moisture levels can also affect energy costs. Drying wood products can create a large expense in energy usage. When the moisture is measured before and after the drying process, the operator can determine the proper drying levels and adjust to run at the most efficient level.
Measure Moisture, Not Humidity
MoistTech’s NIR sensor measures moisture while overlooking humidity. The sensor is not affected by the temperature inside or outside of a facility and it can withstand operating temperatures up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. If the ambient temperature of the product exceeds 130 degrees, there are options to add cooling panels or air supply to withstand an additional 40-50 degrees.
Benefits of a Moisture Sensor
There are many benefits to using a moisture sensor to monitor wood product production. A moisture monitoring system provides real-time data that is fed directly to the mill’s distribution control system for process control. Operators can create a closed loop system on the production line to know the precise input and output of the dryer. The returns from the issues solved by the moisture sensor can recoup the cost of the system within weeks in some situations. Some of the benefits of the system include:
- Improved product quality monitoring
- Increased plant efficiency
- Lower energy costs and less waste
- Precise dryer control
- Low cost and high accuracy
- Low to zero maintenance needed as all sensors come pre-calibrated from MoistTech to provide plug-and-play operation
- Process optimization
Contact MoistTech for a Quote
Improve the quality of your wood product and reduce waste and downtime. Our return on investment tool can visualize how much you could be saving by using a MoistTech NIR moisture sensor. Contact us today for more information on our moisture measurement systems.