Fast reliable non-destructive moisture analysis

Recently, optical methods for moisture analysis have been gaining in importance.

And no wonder: they offer the advantage of fast, reliable and, most importantly, non-destructive analysis.

In the past, calibration of such complex analysers was left to the experts.

But now, with its new LMA500, Sartorius says there is an optical moisture analyser on the market whose appeal lies not only in speed and accuracy but also in its user-friendly calibration functions.

Any lab technician can perform base calibrations as well as expansive recalibrations and batch adjustments, thus making it possible to react to changes in sample characteristics with speed and precision.

The main areas of use for the new moisture analyser model are in at-line process control and in the laboratory.

Thanks to near-infrared (NIR) technology, the equipment operator knows the moisture content of a sample within seconds and can adapt the production process right away, directly beside the production line, in accordance with the results of measurement.

This not only boosts process reliability and efficiency, it also saves valuable time.

Using known datasets and the corresponding moisture content values, the LMA500 reliably calculates the calibration data for the desired substance class.

A variety of statistical methods enables the analyser to set up calibrations with virtually no input - and without requiring expert knowledge - on the part of the user.

Anyone in the lab can quickly and easily create separate basic calibration datasets for each new product in a company's portfolio.

The operator can expand these calibrations in just a few steps by simply adding samples.

Furthermore, calibrations can be adapted to individual samples to account for matrix characteristics such as color or surface properties.

An optional MA35 infrared moisture analyser from Sartorius can be connected directly to the LMA500 and used as a reference instrument to determine the required data in fully automatic mode and transfer it to the LMA500.

This makes it easy for the operator to adjust the moisture analyser promptly and flexibly to new batches.

Sartorius offers a number of basic calibration datasets for substances in a broad range of classes.

As an added feature, the analysis process automatically compares measurements to the calibration data.

This allows the LMA500 to detect outliers and incorrectly categorised samples even before the end of analysis, so the operator can react immediately.

Rugged and durable.

The measurement, display and evaluation unit of the LMA500 is built into a dust-proof and splash-proof IP54 housing.

A fibre optic cable connects the probe so that measurements can be taken not only in the integrated analysis chamber but also in other analysis chambers, in the MA35 or directly in the production process.

Thanks to the analyser's compact design, it can be transported to other testing locations quickly and easily.

The new LMA500 series is rounded out by its straightforward and intuitive user interface.

This gives the operators a measuring instrument for easy and uncomplicated moisture analysis - even on new products for which the basic calibration has yet to be carried out.