Electron Machine Corporation Celebrates 75th Anniversary and 15,000th Shop Order

Electron Machine Corporation is proud to announce its 75th Anniversary and 15,000th shop order.  Founded in 1946, Carl Vossberg Jr. began the Company to transition technologies first used to support the War Department and defense systems to those technologies used in industry.  These methods further increased the quality of items built.  Many of these technologies provided real-time processes control feedback from which changes could be made automatically to the output of the process.  In today's terms, this was the advent of Advanced Process Control (APC).  As a result of his efforts, Carl Vossberg, Jr. was the recipient of many patents.

In 1951 the Company was relocated from Long Island, NY to Umatilla, FL, although several other local cities were interested in hosting Electron Machine Corporation.  In 1953, the Company received its charter in Florida, where the Company has been ever since.  Over time, the product line manufactured by Electron Machine narrowed as manufacturing methods and equipment improved and early APC instruments became integrated into the actual production methods themselves.  

In 1957 Electron Machine applied its first generation of In-line Process Refractometer to determine the sugar concentration (BRIX) of frozen concentrated orange juice.  A unit of this vintage is on display in the Umatilla Historical Museum.  This same instrument is capable of reading concentrations of many process fluids and acids and dissolved solids in a solution.  This product line continues to this day at Electron Machine. 

Carl Vossberg III led the Company for several decades, improving the remaining product family of In-line Process Refractometers and helped to establish Electron Machine Corporation's global reach.  Now servicing Asia, Europe, North and South America, and Africa, Electron Machine Corporation is known worldwide.      

Carl Vossberg IV now leads the organization as foreign markets continue to grow, and the In-Line Process Refractometer continues to advance in its capabilities and technologies.  Wireless options, data logging, communications, and explosion-proof rated instruments serve to broaden the application base for the family of In-Line Process Refractometers.

The 75th Anniversary coincides with our 15,000th Shop Order, meaning 15,000 instruments and pipeline adapters have been manufactured here in Umatilla, FL, servicing the world.

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

Green Liquor Process Management with Inline Refractometers

Green liquor is the dissolved concentrations of sodium sulfide, sodium carbonate, and other substances from the paper-making process's recovery boiler. Measuring its density is an essential aspect of paper production quality. 

The Electron Machine MPR EScan is used to measure the green liquor dissolved density, or TTA, at two different points in the process: after the green liquor dissolving tank and after the green liquor clarifier. With the refractometer sensing head positioned directly in the primary process lines, inline measurement enables real-time management of green liquor dilution to meet target TTA set-points. Excessive green liquid density and the accompanying harmful imminent crystallization within the dissolving tank are also indicated (and prevented) by the measurement. 

One considerable challenge is sensor head scaling associated with green liquor. An optical coating forms on the refractometer sensing head. The coating must be dealt with efficiently and quickly to maintain the accuracy and with minimum maintenance. This is key for the refractometer's ability to provide an acceptable measurement cycle and duration. The maintenance necessary to keep the cleaning system running efficiently is challenging. 

Controlling scaling is optimal when the variance of green liquor solids is reduced by automatically adjusting weak-wash dilution with the MPR E-Scan refractometer. Additionally, pressurized water, heated to the process temperature, rinses the refractometer optical components effectively, resulting in a further scaling reduction. The end outcome is advantageous for both control and acceptable maintenance scheduling. 

By limiting thermal changes, minimizing maintenance, and providing a dependable measurement source for automatic inline control, refractometers with accompanying heated high-pressure water cleaning systems deliver excellent results in improving green liquor processing.

Visit www.electronmachine.com or contact 352-669-3101 for more information.

Automatic Black Liquor Solids Content Measurement with Inline Refractometers

Until the early twentieth century, when recovery boilers first appeared, black liquor was a disposable by-product in paper production. In modern times, pulp mills use chemical recovery technologies to recapture spent cooking chemicals from the pulping process for economic and environmental reasons. An example is Black Liquor Recovery Boilers that enable papermakers to recover and reuse inorganic compounds while also extracting energy from pulping leftovers. 

The Kraft process is used in paper production, in which wood is transformed into wood pulp and ultimately into paper. However, the method generates a byproduct known as black liquor, a hazardous mixture of pulping wastes (such as lignin and hemicellulose), and inorganic Kraft process chemicals (such as sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide). The weak black liquor is directed through evaporators to increase the solids content to form strong black liquor. Injection of the concentrated black liquor into the recovery furnace burns organic molecules and reduces Na2SO4 to Na2S. The high energy content of the black liquor burned in the recovery furnace recovers as steam for process requirements such as boiling wood chips, heating, evaporating black liquor, preheating combustion air, and drying the pulp or paper products.

The pulp industry places a high value on accurate, continuous measurement of black liquor solids concentration. Black liquor solid is an essential measurement operation influencing the economics of the pulping process. The mill's environmental load and the solids content of liquor injected into a recovery furnace can significantly impact the firing behavior and thus efficiency. Current trends toward better recovery furnace control for safety and lower air emissions necessitate more robust control over incoming solids content and proper modification of operating parameters to accommodate changes in solids content. Typical analyses of black liquor solids are conducted periodically throughout the mill, from the washers through the evaporator to the ring header. These analyses consist of taking many samples at critical locations and analyzed in the lab. Alternatively, as pulp and paper mills are modernized and automated, inline process refractometers are installed, providing dependable, accurate, and reliable solids measurement and contributing to the safe functioning of recovery boilers. Inline process refractometers are time-tested and proven to provide reliable and precise automatic monitoring of black liquor solids concentration and providing considerable time and labor savings.

For more information about inline process refractometers for black liquor processes visit this link or contact Electron Machine at 352-669-3101. 

Take a Moment This Weekend to Honor Those That Served Our Nation and Are No Longer With Us

Consistent Commercial Food Production Quality Through ºBrix Monitoring

All commercial food brands must meet the high standards that their customers have come to expect. A change in the quality of their product may cause a shift in the customer's purchasing habits. Consistency and flavor are essential for satisfied customers and continued sales. 

The measurement of "Brix" is vital for producers of many commercial food items, such as wine, fruit juice, jams, and carbonated drinks, to monitor quality. 

Brix is a unit of measurement for sucrose and other sugars (and other dissolved solids) concentrations in aqueous solutions. One degree Brix (symbol °Bx) represents the strength of a solution as a percentage by mass and is described as 1 gram of sucrose in 100 grams of the solution when measuring sweetness. 

Inline refractometers provide vital details about the make-up of commercial fruit, juice, and wine products. Many commercial food processing plants use refractometers to ensure quality by blending their products to a consistent Brix stage. Since the dissolution of sucrose and other sugars in a solution alters the solution's refractive index, calculating this adjustment is a reliable way to assess consistency and efficiency. A refractometer works by shining an LED light source through a product sample and onto a prism surface from various angles. A critical angle can be measured and the refractive index correctly estimated by calculating the difference in the light source's reflection and refraction. Thus, inline refractometers are effective instruments for measuring Brix in all food processing applications. Furthermore, this measurement and calculation can is performed reliably, repeatably, and quickly. 

Inline refractometers calculate sucrose, fructose, and dextrose content in the following applications:

 

• Dairy, soft drinks, and fruit juices 
• Apple sauces, jams, and jellies are all delicious. 
• Beer, wine, coffee, and tea are all available. 
• Oils from vegetables. 
• Sauces and pastes made from tomatoes. 
• Honey

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

Inline Refractometers for Fruit and Vegetable Juice Concentration

The array of fruits processed into concentrate includes almost every commercially harvested type. The production of fruit juice concentrate involves taking a comparatively dilute feedstock of fruit juice and delivering a uniformly concentrated output. Fruit juice concentrate contains the feedstock fruit juice's solid components and provides more accessible transportation and longer storage life. The method of producing fruit juice concentrates is an excellent way to save money on packaging and transportation. It also ensures that the final goods are of consistent quality. In the meantime, the rise in sugar and acid content favors preservation. Qualified fruit juice concentrate must maintain the same color, taste, and nutrition as the original fruit juice.

Water is removed from freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juice to make fruit juice concentrate.  The process requires the removal of water through a variety of operations employing purpose-specific equipment.  Juice is extracted from various fruits in several ways, specifically adapted for its shape, size, and nature. 

Vacuum Concentration
Vacuum concentrate systems, refrigeration-based concentrations, and membrane-based concentrations are the most used fruit juice processing technologies. 

Vacuum concentration necessitates heating fruit juice under low pressure to lower the boiling point and allow the water content to evaporate quickly. The most critical and commonly used device in the fruit juice concentration process is vacuum concentration equipment.

Freeze Concentration
Lowering the temperature of fruit juice to ice point is referred to as freeze concentration. Before the concentration of fruit juice exceeds the eutectic threshold, the water content freezes and separates. 

Membrane Concentration
Reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration are two forms of membrane technology. It operates based on osmotic pressure. A semipermeable membrane built in the center divides a container into two parts, with each position filled with solution A and solution B separately. 

No matter the method used, juice concentration will vary initially due to several natural factors. The concentration process chosen must produce output that will provide product uniformity.

Regardless of the method used for concentrating the juice, inline process refractometers can be used at strategic points in the concentration process to measure the percentage of solids and evaluate equipment performance and product quality. 

Inline refractometers produce accurate and repeatable output signals that allow the process to rapidly adjust, opening control valves, adjust the flow, change pressure, or modulate temperature.  The use of these instruments provides a continuous measurement of the process variables, ensuring consistency and making the most efficient use of the energy-consuming concentration equipment.

In a high-volume commercial juice production environment, ruggedness, reliability, and accuracy are critical features for an inline process refractometer.  While the devices are not inexpensive, their upfront investment pays off quickly in production speed and product quality.

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

Industrial Applications for Inline Refractometers

The applications for inline industrial refractometers are many. Outlined below are several of the more common applications and processes.

Spray Dryers: Spray drying is a way to produce a dry powder from a liquid or slurry by drying quickly with a warm gas, a preferred drying technique for many thermally sensitive products like foods and pharmaceuticals. Consistent distribution of particle size is the goal for spray drying. Process refractometer monitors the feed line's concentration to the spray dryer, ensuring correct particle size after drying and improving product shelf life.

Evaporation: An evaporator is a tool used to transform the liquid form of a chemical substance such as water into its gaseous / vapor form. During that phase, the liquid is evaporated or vaporized into a gas. Inline refractometers provide real-time data of concentration changes in the process media.

Crystallizers: In industry, crystallizers create liquid-solid separation. They are an essential component of chemical processing equipment as they can generate high-purity products from a relatively low energy input. The refractometer controls the liquor concentration to determine the right seeding point (evaporative crystallizer) or to detect when crystals start to form (cooling crystallizer).

Dissolving Tanks: Dissolving tanks dissolve solids into a liquid, thereby changing the concentration of the solution. Refractometers provide continuous measurement of the concentration components in solution as the solute dissolves into water or solvent, with real-time information for dissolving rate. 

Solid / Liquid Extraction - Solid / Liquid extraction method is a prevalent method in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries to acquire natural ingredients such as natural raw material flavors and fragrances. Inline refractometers measure the amount of extracted substance (dissolved solids) in the liquid after the extraction process. The measurement is not affected by undissolved solids, only by the dissolved matter, making it ideal to follow extraction efficiency. 

Reverse Osmosis: Reverse osmosis (RO) is a water purification method that removes ions, unwanted molecules, and bigger particles from drinking water using a partially permeable membrane. Inline refractometers provide real-time data of concentration changes in the process media.

Reactors: Process reactors are typical in commercial production applications in adhesives processing, agriculture, chemical processing, cosmetics, food and beverage production, paints and coating production, paper and pulp processing, pharmaceutical and medical production, plastics, and thermoplastics processing. The real-time progress can be followed using inline refractometers, either through the leveling out of process key process variables or reaching a single component's targeted refractive index value.

Cooking Processes: The art, technology, science, and craftsmanship of preparing food for consumption are cooking. The large-scale production of juices, jams, jellies, dairy, and fruits in modern production facilities requires automation and control instrumentation for quality and efficiency. Sugar is a critical component in many foods. The inline refractometer measures the refractive index to determine the cooking process's end and boost the cooking effectiveness.

Other areas where you'll find the use of industrial process refractometers are; adhesives processing, agriculture, chemical processing, cosmetics, food and beverage production, paints and coating production, paper and pulp processing, pharmaceutical, plastics, and thermoplastics processing.

For more information about applying the refractive index to industrial process applications, contact Electron Machine by calling 352-669-3101 or by visiting https://electronmachine.com.