Written by Rachel Kohn
Moisture content, defined as the percentage of a product’s weight due to water, is an essential measure of quality control. A gravimetric moisture analyzer is employed across a broad spectrum of industries to confirm that moisture content is in line with regulations governing a particular industry.
Agricultural products such as grains and the flour derived from grains provide an illustration of where a moisture analyzer is put into play. A University of Minnesota Extension Report, for example, states that wheat and barley grain must have a moisture content of 13% to 14% for safe storage. Achieving that target can be costly and time consuming in wet weather.
When wheat is milled to flour another target applies. A study at the Institute of Food Science and Technology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan, reports that moisture content of flour is very important regarding its shelf life. Lowering the flour moisture increases its storage stability. The study concluded that flour with moisture content between 9% and 10% is suitable for extended shelf life.
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Written by Rachel Kohn
With continuous press reports on product recalls ranging from automobiles to pharmaceuticals to baby cribs, quality management (QM) takes on every greater importance for company management, its personnel, customers and shareholders regardless of size, product or service. The cost of product recalls in terms of lost revenues, reputation and lawsuits – let alone loss of life or health – presents a strong case for strong quality management systems in any company.
QM systems can be broadly divided into quality practices and quality standards. Learn which of these apply to your organization. Compliance procedures should be carefully spelled out in your company’s operation manual. Record-keeping is crucial. These must be maintained in a safe location and accessible by qualified third parties.
Some Examples of QM Practices
Here are some examples of QM practices. Detailed information on these and others is available on the Internet.
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Written by Rachel Kohn
If your antique family rocking chair or your wood dining chairs start to squeak and wobble chances are the humidity in your home is too low. On the other hand, if you notice swelling or warping, the atmosphere may be too humid. This is physical and visual evidence of the importance of moisture content to maintaining fine wood furniture. It starts with manufacturing, which is why a moisture analyzer is often put to work to verify optimum moisture content before furniture is assembled.
Moisture and Wood
Newly cut wood may have a moisture content of 30%, meaning that 30% of its weight is water. That’s why anyone splitting cordwood knows that it has to be seasoned before being burned, and that the wood is much lighter after a season in the open air than when it was freshly split. Seasoning also applies to wood used in construction, and especially in the manufacturing of fine furniture.
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Written by Rachel Kohn
Moisture content in a wide variety of products is an essential indicator of product quality – so essential that in many cases moisture content is regulated by government authorities. Google “moisture content regulations” and see for yourself. A useful if not essential tool to comply with these regulations is a moisture analyzer or moisture balance.
Elegant in design and simple in principle, a moisture analyzer replaces cumbersome drying ovens with a halogen heater mounted on a precision scale. The difference in sample weight before and after drying determines the moisture content of what is being tested. But while the principle is simple, correctly operating a moisture balance requires careful sample preparation and programming consistent with the product being analyzed.
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