Various businesses rely on paper products for their operations, from corrugated cardboard for product packaging to paper used for printing and writing purposes, and more. Paper factories, mills, and processing centers must be able to effectively monitor and control moisture to ensure optimal quality of paper products. Moisture may be introduced into production lines either through the environment, during processes, or in raw materials. Moisture analyzers help facilities understand moisture and humidity levels so that they can determine the proper drying processes.
Paper Production and Moisture Monitoring
Moisture control plays a very important role in paper production. Moisture analyzers allow paper manufacturers to accurately gauge how much moisture is in each batch of paper products. This provides the information needed to determine appropriate drying times and ensure high-quality final products.
The Paper Drying Process
Paper production includes three key steps: forming, pressing, and drying. While some moisture is removed due to gravitational forces and pressure during the forming and pressing steps, drying the paper to the appropriate level is performed using heat, pressure, and water removal. The drying process can be challenging as it can vary each time. Factors such as relative humidity, absolute humidity, and temperature all affect drying time.
Temperature and humidity variances can make it difficult to achieve the proper moisture content in paper products. Too much moisture in paper can significantly impact its dimensions, flatness, weight, conductivity, strength, and ability to fold. Using a moisture analyzer to accurately measure the humidity and moisture content at any given time allows manufacturers to initiate the proper drying processes to achieve the correct level of moisture.
Benefits of Moisture Control in Paper Production
Moisture control during paper production offers a wide variety of benefits, including:
- Enhanced quality. Maintaining proper humidity levels prevents static, paper distortion, and other negative effects associated with too much moisture. This ensures a high-quality final product.
- Increased efficiency. The operation of your machines becomes more efficient because appropriate humidity levels directly contribute to less downtime. Maintaining the correct amount of moisture prevents paper from jamming or sticking together, which allows your operations to continue without stopping.
- Improved overall operations. Printing in the ideal humid environment provides consistent levels of quality, reduced waste, and longer lifespans of paper printing equipment.
MAC Instruments’ Moisture Analyzer
MAC Instruments offers moisture monitoring solutions for the paper manufacturing industry. Our industrial moisture analyzers can handle your facility’s needs, regardless of the size and scope of your operation. Our industry-leading MAC 125 moisture analyzer is unique in that it does not use compressed air or chemicals, meaning it can provide you with accurate readings even in the most extreme manufacturing conditions.
The MAC 125 is used in paper drying processes around the world. The user can configure the output signal as either “% by volume” or “Humidity Ratio (Kg of water per Kg of dry air)”, which is the most common output for drying applications. No matter what your moisture monitoring needs are, MAC Instruments can provide you with the ideal solution.
Contact Us for Your Moisture Monitoring Needs
Moisture control is crucial in ensuring high-quality paper products. Moisture analyzers from MAC Instruments allow you to accurately measure humidity and moisture levels during each step of the paper production process. This not only ensures optimal quality but also enhances overall production efficiency. To learn more about how our moisture monitoring solutions can benefit your paper production operations, contact the experts at MAC Instruments or request a quote to get started.
