Inline FT-NIR Monitoring in Aqueous Food Mixing Lines
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage production facilities face challenges in ensuring rapid and reliable quality checks during high-speed production, leading to time-consuming offline laboratory analyses and significant waste due to non-compliant batches.
Innovation Solution
Integration of Fourier-Transformation (FT)-NIR spectrometers for inline detection of ingredients in fluid systems within the production facility, allowing for continuous monitoring of beverage ingredients in feed, discharge, and bypass lines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If offline laboratory analysis is used for quality checks, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces offline mechanical/chemical laboratory analysis with online infrared spectroscopy detection. The infrared spectrometer directly analyzes the beverage in the production line, substituting the manual sampling and laboratory testing process with automated optical detection, achieving both rapid results and maintained measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an infrared spectrometer as an intermediary device between the production line and quality assessment. This intermediary enables real-time quality monitoring by detecting ingredient concentrations through infrared absorption spectra, eliminating the time lag inherent in offline laboratory analysis
2Measurement precision
If offline laboratory analysis is used for quality checks, then measurement precision is improved, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the offline laboratory analysis system with an online infrared spectroscopy system integrated into the production line. This substitution enables continuous quality monitoring without interrupting the filling process, thereby maintaining high productivity while ensuring accurate quality assessment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous quality monitoring through the infrared spectrometer that operates throughout the production process. Unlike discrete offline sampling, the online system continuously analyzes the beverage stream, ensuring uninterrupted production flow and sustained high productivity
3Measurement precision
If random offline sampling is used for quality checks, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from discrete random sampling to continuous online monitoring using infrared spectroscopy. The spectrometer continuously analyzes the beverage in the production line, eliminating the time delays associated with periodic sampling and laboratory analysis, while maintaining comprehensive quality coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual sampling and laboratory analysis mechanism with automated infrared spectroscopic detection. This substitution enables real-time quality feedback without the time lag inherent in offline sampling processes, while maintaining accurate measurement of ingredient concentrations
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables seamless, rapid, and reliable qualitative and quantitative monitoring of beverage ingredients, ensuring compliance with specifications and reducing waste by allowing real-time process adjustments.
Implementation Method 1
at least one infrared spectrometer, such as a Fourier-Transformation (FT)-NIR spectrometer, arranged and adapted for the inline detection of ingredients of aqueous food products
Implementation Method 2
at least one infrared spectrometer, such as a Fourier-Transformation (FT)-NIR spectrometer
Data Source
AI summary
A facility for producing an aqueous food product and a component of such a facility includes a mixing device with a mixing container and a feed line for fluid media containing at least one ingredient for aqueous food products to the mixing container and a discharge line for a fluid medium, containing the aqueous food product mixed in the mixing device, from the mixing container, and at least one infrared spectrometer, in some cases an FT-NIR spectrometer, arranged and adapted for the inline detection of ingredients of aqueous food products. The present disclosure further relates to a method for producing aqueous food products comprising the inline detection of at least one ingredient in a fluid medium with an infrared spectrometer, in some cases an FT-NIR spectrometer. In addition, the present disclosure relates to the use of an infrared spectrometer, in some cases an FT-NIT spectrometer, for detecting at least one ingredient for aqueous food products or for the inline monitoring of at least one ingredient for aqueous food products in a facility for producing a plurality of containers filled with an aqueous food product.