Since 1985 Liebherr develops, produces and distributes efficient moisture measurement systems for the industrial automation around the world.
At the beginning the moisture measurement sensors were used only for own LIEBHERR concrete mixing plants to determine the sand moisture in the process. This has fundamentally changed the last years and the sensors are used in different industrial sectors nowadays, from automotive supplier- to building material-, paper-, food industry to the agriculture sector further on for chemical and petrochemical applications.
Systems are installed for example in following materials:
Moisture: Building materials, quartz sand, cullet, minerals, plastic granules, paper, carton, pet food, wooden chips,
corn and maize, sugar beet, seed, fertilizer, biomass,… up to marzipan,
Water content: Diesel, crude oil, ethanol, paint…
At the Liebherr factory in Bad Schussenried the sensors are produced and calibrated in an ESD-protected production line. Sensor development at Liebherr includes the total R&D value chain from the physical idea to the final solution, from the first concept to the
finished product. The experience from the field of construction machines under extreme conditions guarantees a very high reliability and a long life time of the sensors.
The moisture measurement system FMS II is used, for example, in the agriculture sector in maize and grain drying pants. During drying process, the exact determination of corn/ maize moisture is most important for the storage of the goods. The sensors are installed in the dryer inlet and outlet and monitor directly in the material flow the moisture content of the material. With this the two maize or corn moisture levels are compared and then the drying process will be controlled accordingly.
Another application example for our moisture measurement system is the glass production industry. In raw materials such as quartz sand and cullet (broken glass) the moisture is measured before the material goes to the corresponding melting furnace. After this the materials will be processed for example to glass containers.
A successful development in the field of Liebherr` s measurement products is a special tube sensor which currently already used in the automotive supplier branch .The development was carried out in accordance with the world’s largest producers of fuel filters. The sensors are used in the test stands of various well known producers.
The sensors are installed to monitor the demulsification of (diesel) fuel filter. Sensors are installed before and after the filter. With a user-friendly software the difference of water content before and after the filter can be monitored. Very small amounts of water must be detected. The measuring range is partially below 50ppm and can rise to more than 2000 ppm.
The new tube sensor complements the already available water content measurement system type Litronic WMS. The WMS allows an exact and reliable determination of the water content in different emulsions like: oil, diesel, lubrication oil, coolant, color, paint… during process. A wide range of options, such as a retractable fitting, which makes it possible to remove the sensor during the process, is available. Of course, the sensor is designed in according to CENELEC, ATEX 95/100.
The measurement product range will be complemented with a coating control or weight per unit are definition system. Fields of applications are paper, cardboard, foil, nonwoven and textile webs. First customers have tested this measurement system successfully and now using it in operation. The thickness or the weight of the material is measured in very small ranges (μ or g) directly into the production lines.