Inline Process Refractometers for Tomato Processing

Tomato processors need to anticipate product output, consistency, and quality, as these variables directly impact sales and profitability. However, because of fruit diversity, harvest maturity, and agricultural region, it is challenging to control the consistency and quality of tomato products. 

Consumers frequently choose tomato sauces, pastes, purees, and dressings depending on sweetness levels, so food producers must manage sweetness precisely. Brix is the most commonly used method for assessing sweetness. Degrees Brix (°Bx) is a quick and accurate way to calculate the quantity of sugar in an aqueous solution. 

Refractometry calculates degrees Brix, and refractometers are the devices used to do so. Refractometers, in essence, use a prism to determine how light bends through a substance. The shift in light direction calculates to particulate quantities - in this example, Brix - in a repeatable manner. 

In food processing, there are various types of refractometers. Many food processing labs employ hand-held refractometers for batch sampling. The inline process refractometer is another. It offers Brix measuring control directly on the manufacturing line, and it can be used anytime in the overall process, from the evaporation stages to the concentrated finished product. 

Inline process refractometers are mounted using a sanitary-type pipe adapter designed and produced per 3-A Sanitary Standards. Suppose the tomato product is known to leave persistent coatings on the refractometer prism. In that case, a steam port is added to the adapter, allowing the prism to be steam cleaned at predetermined intervals. 

The refractometer's head is positioned directly in the processing line and provides real-time Brix detection with a measured output. The refractometer's circuitry then conditions the head's signal and compares it to the desired value in a controller. The controller provides a corrective output signal, such as 4-20mA, to a final control device, such as a control valve. The control device increases or reduces the amount of an ingredient. Brix measurement, like any other process control variable (pressure, temperature, level, or flow), is determined and managed by the inline process refractometer via a dedicated control loop, giving the tomato processor better control over product quality and consistency.

For more information on the use of inline process refractometers in tomato processing, contact Electron Machine at +1 352-669-3101 or visit http://electronmachine.com.

Ensure Juice and Beverage Quality and Consistency with Inline Process Refractometers

The inline Brix analysis of juice and beverages offers automated, exacting process control and quality monitoring by continuously measuring and monitoring the quality and consistency of each component with high precision and controls the dosage during the blending of the products. 

Inline refractometers also assure that the correct product is in process, particularly when blending and filling a variety of juices, syrups, nectars, soft drinks, and other beverages on the same line.

Syrups, juice concentrates, and other ingredients are frequently blended with water according to specific formulas, then held in stacking tanks, and lastly poured into product-specific bottles or containers in the beverage industry. 

The entire product batch may be defective if a primary component, such as a juice concentrate, does not precisely meet the specifications or if the blending process itself is incorrect due to incorrect valve switching.  It's also possible that the faulty product goes to packaging due to an improper phase transition. If this is discovered only during final quality control, the entire production batch could be at risk. 

With an inline refractometer, each process stage gets precisely managed by measuring the dissolved sugar in the liquid. In comparison, manual Brix control sampling with a hand refractometer is labor-intensive and open to operator error. Furthermore, any mistake can only be detected after the fact, affecting the production quantity between two samples or a complete filling batch, and then discarded. The inline process refractometer is integrated directly into the process with high accuracy and continuously, allowing the definition and differentiation of each component or product.

Contact Electron Machine Company at +1 352-669-3101 or visit https://electronmachine.com if you have any question regarding the usage of refractometry in food and beverage production.

Are You Interested in a Complimentary Black Liquor Solids Analysis?

How convinced are you of the accuracy of your black liquor solids measurement? 

Are you making the most of your time? Do you know the concentration of solids at each critical phase? Do you want to reduce the amount of time you spend gathering data?

Electron Machine Corporation is offering a complimentary black liquor study service for all pulp mill customers. 

Electron Machine has worked for years to develop and improve the speed and accuracy of both inline and offline solids concentration measuring equipment. This continual improvement for black liquor solids measurement allows Electron Machine to design and offer equipment that will significantly increase the speed of your data recording.

Take advantage of this great offer from Electron Machine now!

For more information, visit electronmachine.com/blackliquortesting.

Demonstration of Measuring °Brix in Tomato-based Food Products with an Inline Process Refractometer

Are you a producer of tomato-based food products that wants better quality control while reducing cost? Stay tuned to see how the inline process refractometer can help you out.

Welcome to Electron Machine Corporation, manufacturer of the world's most rugged refractometer, found in various industries across the globe.  

Typically installed in a pipeline, the MPR E-Scan is set up here as a demonstration equipment piece. In this demo, a static cup measures a variety of popular tomato-based food products. In production, the refractometer is commonly installed right inline with the process piping of the tomato-based product being run. 

Hopefully, you'll enjoy this demonstration into what the refractometer can do and how it measures the sugar content of tomato-based product. Stay tuned for the next series of videos. We'll highlight another product for the refractometer to measure. 

Electron Machine Corporation
https://electronmachine.com​​
+1 352-669-3101

Where is Your Pulp Mill’s Black Liquor Bottleneck?

Black liquor solids is a key measurement operation influencing the economics of the pulping process, as well as the environmental load of the mill. Typical analyses of black liquor solids are conducted on a periodic bases throughout the mill, from the washers through the evaporator to the ring header. These analyses consist of many samples being taken at key location and analyzed in the lab. This process can take many hours or even days to collect and determine the solids. Electron Machine has worked for years to develop and improve the speed and the accuracy of both inline and offline equipment. This continual improvement for black liquor solids measurements allows Electron Machine the ability to offer equipment that can greatly increase the speed in which these studies are conducted.

How confident are you in your black liquor solids? Do you know the solids at every critical phase of the process? Would you like to decrease the time that solids analyses take?

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE COMPLIMENTARY ON-SITE BLACK LIQOR SOLIDS SERVICE

Electronmachine.com/BlackLiquorTesting

With the recent demand for continue uptime and reduced labor forces, Electron machine is offering a complimentary black liquor study service for all pulp mill customers to analyze the potential for efficiency improvement and to assist in the implementation of refractometers in this costly part of the pulping process. We can assist process control engineers with their black liquor sampling and with the use of our equipment can decrease the time required to complete sampling. The service includes a 1 day on-site evaluation of the mill’s current black liquor solids, as well as any equipment and control practices used, and the identification of potential areas for improvement.

You can learn more at the Electron Machine website here.  Take this opportunity now to schedule a complementary service to identify your Black Liquor bottleneck.

Using the Refractive Index for Better Product Quality and Safety Since 1952

The Important Role of the Inline Refractometer in Juice and Beverage Production

Every time a consumer purchases a beverage that they enjoy drinking again and again, it is because they love the taste of their favorite drink.  Why do they love it?  Because they have grown to trust that the taste they expect is always the same!  They continue to purchase their favorite drink because it is dependable, reliable, and delicious for them every time!

The consumer gets this feeling because of the consistency of product. The consistency is a function of production processes on the part of the manufacturer. Many drinks and beverages have a certain amount of sugar added for optimal taste.  If the process used to mix the sweetener into the drink deviates, even in the slightest, then product consistency will suffer and so will consumer satisfaction.

Enter the process refractometer.  With its precisely calibrated refractive index set to the exact parameters specified by the manufacturer, the quality and consistency of each and every product batch will fall within the acceptable quality control range.  Any deviation from the "sweetness" settings (degrees Brix) are immediately detected by the inline refractometer, and can be quickly corrected by automated signals sent to a final control element and eliminate the deviation. This ensures a quality product for consumers time in and time out, as well as keeping costly losses due to defective batches at a minimum.

Another area in beverage production where inline refractometers are used is in the container and piping sanitization processes. Each producer must keep their process components cleaned and sanitized to industry and government standards. The beverage manufacturer needs to ensure container cleanliness prior to filling, and also guarantee proper flushing of the process piping during product changeover. The cleaning process is regularly done with some aggressive chemicals, namely hydrogen peroxide and sodium hydroxide.  Inline refractometers are used to ensure the precise concentration of theses two cleaning agents. By using the specific refractive index of each chemical, a process refractometer can control the optimal amount for the cleansing processes, again ensuring quality and consistency on the part of the manufacturer, while offering peace of mind that the process components are cleaned and sanitized to exact industry and government standards.

Process refractometers proved an extremely important role in the production of juices and beverages in both the product consistency, and also the safety and cleanliness of the production process.

For more information, contact Electron Machine Corporation by calling 352-669-3101 or visit their web site at https://electronmachine.com.

Incorporate Inline Industrial Refractometers for Better Quality and Higher Yields

Inline refractometer in sanitary application.

Process refractometry provides an excellent method to determine the concentration of compounds (dissolved solids, proteins, chemicals) in a liquid or paste-like substance. By using the refractive index, industrial refractometry supplies real-time, accurate data to process control systems for higher quality and more efficient production. Some specific industries finding the use of industrial, inline refractometers of high value are:

• Food and juice processing - Ex: Measuring dissolved sugars (Brix) 
• Chemical processing - Ex: Boiler cleaning solution concentration
• Pulp and paper production - Ex:  dissolved solids in green liquor and black liquor
• Pharmaceutical / Bio-Tech - Ex: measuring proteins in solution

Process refractometry enables real-time monitoring and control of a process based on the comparison of a known or "control" sample of a media's desired concentration, versus the value of the product moving through the production line.  Industrial refractometry measures the concentration of compounds in a process media by determining it's refractive index and it’s temperature. The actual measurement is done by monitoring the refraction of light as it passes through the process media. At a certain "critical" angle of incidence, the source light is reflected rather than refracted. This critical angle can be correlated to the properties of the process media, and provides a marker that is used to determine a standard for the desired production output. By knowing this variable, at a known temperature, the concentration of specific compounds in the process media can be calculated and precisely controlled.

The use of inline refractometers for determining concentrations of  in solutions provides a fast, accurate measurement and response for process optimization and quality achievement. They dramatically lower cost by improving consistency, reducing waste, and increasing yield.

Electron Machine Achieves ISO 9001:2015

The ISO 9001:2015 approval of a quality management system (QMS) means an organization demonstrates its ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements, and aims to improve customer satisfaction through the effective application of the quality system, including processes for system improvement, and the assurance of conformity to customer requirements.

ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies whose technical committees prepare and carry out the International Standards. ISO 9001 is the international standard that specifies requirements for the organization's quality management system. ISO 9001 was first published in 1987. The current version,  ISO 9001:2015, was released in September 2015. The previous version was ISO 9001:2008.

Organizations that are certified to ISO 9001:2008 should transition up to ISO 9001:2015 as quickly as reasonably possible, but the ISO Committee on Conformity Assessment has agreed to a three year transition period.

Electron Machine Corporation achieved ISO 9001:2015 as of November 2016.

Consistent Ice Cream Quality with Inline Process Refractometer

Inline refractometer helps
make better ice cream.

Improve large scale ice cream production and quality control by accurately measuring milk and sugar concentrations with inline process refractometers. The refractometer directly measures dissolved solids, which can be easily converted to Brix. This measurement is unaffected by bubbles or suspended particles.

The Electron Machine MPR E-Scan refractometer is used to measure both the dairy concentration as well as the sweetener (sucrose, fructose, etc.) Brix level going into the mixing tank. This in-line measurement allows real-time trimming of both ingredients to meet the final target concentration in the mixing tank. Additional measurement of the mixed product is used for further adjustments to the composition before packaging.

By installing the Electron Machine Corporation MPR E-Scan a factory can insure an accurate process control resulting in consistent ice cream quality. Thus, increasing profit from economical operation. By maintaining a desired process concentration there will be a decrease in offline testing and an increase quality control. This results in the ability to optimize work force man hours and eliminate unnecessary product waste saving the factory time and money.

Inline Process Refractometers for Ice Cream Production from Electron Machine Corporation

Electron Machine Maintains "A" Rating with ISNetworld

Electron Machine Maintains
ISNetworld A Rating

ISNetworld is a resource that assists in establishing partnerships between hiring clients and contractors through corporate transparency across management, training, and safety infrastructure. They maintain a world-wide online contractor management database, designed to meet internal and governmental record keeping and compliance requirements. They collect and present health and safety, procurement, quality and regulatory information to their subscriber-ship of hiring clients.

ISNetwork’s goal is to connect hiring clients with safe, reliable and sustainable contractors and suppliers. Their process (for contractors) requires maintaining accurate information, records, and processes concerning insurability, safety, training, hiring, and diversity information. ISNetwork's hiring clients and contractors both benefit through a streamlined, thorough, and consistent qualification process.

Electron Machine Corporation is proud to be an ISNetwork approved contractor in good standing and has has been awarded an “A” in contractor rating for demonstrating high standards of quality and safety. An “A” rating typically means the contractor is listed as “excellent/preferred” and can be hired without restriction.