This blog focuses on industrial, inline process refractometers and their use in industrial applications. Refractometry is used to measure the refractive index of a substance in order to determine its composition or purity. Posts include information on theory, construction, installation, new products and new markets.
Electron Machine Corporation | Umatilla, FL | PHONE: 352-669-3101 | ElectronMachine.com
MPR E-Scan™ - The World's Most Rugged In-line Process Refractometer
An Inline Refractive Index Analyzer for Measuring Sugar Content in Food and Beverages
The Electron Machine MPR E-Scan™ provides inline refractive index measurement of cane sugar, HFCS (High-Fructose Corn Syrup), or beet sugar concentration in food products. The analyzer continuously reads the °Brix value of fruit juices, soft drinks, fruit juice, syrups, jams, jellies, honey, and nectars.
The MPR E-Scan™ is a refractive index °Brix monitor that provides highly accurate inline sugar concentration measurements. The inline installation (with local or remote electronics) offers lower-cost operation and monitoring and control.
The MPR E-Scan™ includes a high-resolution color display, and a 4-20mA output is standard. HART® protocol, RS-232, and RS-422 outputs are available, providing you a means for data acquisition as well as visualization of all data, alarms, trends, and allows real-time product adjustments. The entire package is NEMA 4X rated and designed and manufactured with the best materials for each application to provide years of trouble-free service with minimal maintenance.
Electron Machine Corporation
https://electronmachine.com
+1 352-669-3101
Inline Process Refractometers for the Pharmaceutical and Food Processing Industries

Electron Machine Corporation's MPR E-Scan™ inline refractometers provide process analysis and control of liquid and slurry process streams in pharmaceutical and food processing applications. The MPR E-Scan™ provides accurate control and precise monitoring of variables in process streams, including percent concentration, solids dissolution, and solution reduction. The inline process refractometer also excels in measuring and managing crystallization, verifying and regulating the correct mix of various compounds, and determining the sugar concentration in a wide variety of products. In addition, the MPR E-Scan™ is often used to track concentrations in evaporation processes.
The MPR E-Scan™ is available in a broad range of models to accomodate a wide variety of measurement ranges and resolutions, providing users an abundance of choices to fit the right equipment to the right application.
Designed with ruggedness and durability in mind, the IP65 / NEMA 4X rated MPR E-Scan™ will withstand the rigors of CIP (Clean-in-Place), allowing the inline process refractometer to be thoroughly and meticulously cleaned at any time in a process environment. Each process refractometer is designed and manufactured specifically for each application, assuring trouble-free service with a minimum amount of maintenance for years to come.
The operation of the MPR E-Scan™ inline process refractometer is based upon the principle of light reflection. Light radiated from the LED passes through the prism surface to be reflected from a mirror to the prism-to-process interface. The light reaching this interface intersects the same interface over a series of angles chosen to include critical angle for the process being measured. Light intersecting the interface at an angle greater than critical angle is refracted into the solution. Light intersecting the interface at less than critical angle is reflected up to a second mirror and out of the prism up to the CCD linear array to be scanned.
In short, the MPR E-Scan™ inline process refractometer makes process metrics more visible to the user and significantly reduces product quality fluctuations. This increases efficiency, lowers production costs, and increases process reliability. The MPR E-Scan™ can be applied to a wide range of applications in the pharmaceutical and food industries, thanks to their field-proven and reliable technology.
Electron Machine Corporation
https://electronmachine.com
352-669-3101
Process Refractometers for Black Liquor and Green Liquor Processes in Pulp and Paper
A very fundamental explanation of the Kraft Process:
![]() |
MPR E-Scan and heated high-pressure cleaning system. |
Electron Machine's decades of effort and experience in the pulp and paper industry led to the development of their MPR E-Scan refractometer in tandem with their heated high-pressure cleaning system. The resulting combination ensures efficient optical coating removal and maintenance minimization so as to ensure a reliable measurement source for automatic online control.
Accurate Green Liquor Density Control with Reduced Maintenance
Refractometers for Food and Beverage Processing
Electron Machine Corporation developed the first in-line process refractometer more than 50 years ago when orange juice was first concentrated. Since that time, their refractometers have been successfully applied on many more applications including the production of sucrose, fructose, dextrose, soft drinks, fruit juices, dairy, apple sauce, jams, jellies, beer, wine, coffee, tea, vegetable oils, tomato paste, ice cream and honey.
With an extremely durable Sapphire prism as its foundation, the Electron Machine MPR E-Scan combines accurate measurements with ruggedized components in the sensing head combining for years of of dependable and accurate service in harsh food production environments.
Inline Refractometer Adapters, Cleaning Systems & Isolation Valves
For more information visit http://www.electronmachine.com or call 352-669-3101.
Replace the Sensing Head on MPR E-Scan and MDS-Divert Systems
The MDS Monitor Divert System is a BLRBAC compliant Black Liquor solids monitoring system designed specifically for Black Liquor recovery boilers.
The following paper illustrates the correct way to replace the sensing head on MPR E-Scan and MDS-Divert Systems from Electron Machine Corporation.
Inline Refractometers for Measuring Black Liquor Evaporation
![]() |
Measuirng black liquor solids concentration. |
Introduction:
Refractometers have long proven to be the instrument of choice for black liquor solids concentration. Electron Machine Corporation of Umatilla, Florida pioneered this technology to accurately measure black liquor dissolved solids 5 decades ago. Their MPR E-Scan inline refractometer provides digital accuracy with rugged components required for years of reliable use when installed in harsh industrial environments. This combination allows for easy integration into a mill-wide monitor / control system providing operators the information needed for efficient and easy-to-service control.
Application:
An important and overlooked area for refractometers is the pulp washing operation. By monitoring the concentration output the washers can be balanced to meet the needs of the evaporation process and a mill is able to regulate the mixing liquor. This control allows a consistent concentration supply to the evaporators and boiler. This installation is simple and greatly reduces hand sampling.
![]() |
MPR E-Scan |
By installing the Electron Machine Corporation MPR E-Scan with Isolation Valve Adapters before and after each evaporator effect, the concentration and temperature output can be utilized to monitor efficiency, detect problems and operate economically. This monitoring allows control operators to adjust steam usage for optimal solids evaporation. Operators can determine if a quick flush cleaning can be performed to improve efficiency, prolonging the time between invasive, labor intensive cleanings. It also allows the detection of any problems before the liquor reaches the boiler, plus provides a consistent solids percentage for firing.
Conclusion:
With the addition of the Electron Machine Corporation MPR E-Scan to a mills process control system, a company can see increased profitability through the optimized control of steam usage, reduced labor cost from the reduction of offline hand sampling and the ability to prolong the time between labor intensive offline cleanings. This greater control provides more consistent firing solids allowing boilers to operator more efficiently.
Key Benefits:
- Consistent black liquor solids
- Minimize steam consumption
- Economical operation
- Optimize man hours
- Reduce costly evaporator cleanings