Optical fiber cable calibration

Parker (40) reported the application of on-line NIR analyses for monitoring continuous-process butter production. The point chosen for NIR sampling was the pipe before the packing line. Two probes, a transmitter and a receiver, were installed in the butter pipe. Fiber-optic cables ran from the probes to the instrument. The laminar flow of the butter in the pipe gave a very reproducible sample presentation with very good spectral data. The instrument was calibrated for moisture in unsalted, salted, and cultured butter and for salt. The same author reported the on-line NIR application in the control of the milk powder spray-drying process. 

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