METER Group, Inc. USA has announced that it has acquired Drying Technology, Inc., accelerating the availability of proven, closed-loop moisture control for continuous lines for METER Food customers.

Delta T sensor technology and patented algorithm reduce moisture content variation in foods, improving production efficiency and quality while lowering energy consumption and waste. This cutting-edge system consistently and precisely maintains the target moisture content inside a dryer using real-time data and an exclusive control algorithm.

As part of METER Food’s SKALA platform, Delta T Moisture Control adds closed loop drying intelligence for continuous lines. Coupled with METER’s patented drying algorithm for manufacturers that dry or bake foods in batches using ovens, smokers, and cure rooms, SKALA Delta T Moisture Control extends METER’s ability to help processors predict exactly when a batch has been dried to the correct moisture level.

Food manufacturers must ensure that their products are dry enough to inhibit the growth of mold and microorganisms while also mitigating the risk of excessive over drying, unnecessary energy consumption, reduced product volume, and quality. Unfortunately, most companies are hindered by inadequate technologies that only measure downstream moisture.

Without moisture sensors inside the dryer, it is impossible to detect moisture variations, much less automatically readjust this add point in response to load changes as they occur. This glaring lack of control within drying processes is a notorious cost center for food manufacturers that also threatens production rates and product shelf life.

METER’s new moisture control module combines rugged temperature sensors installed inside the dryer with a patented control algorithm to measure moisture changes entering the dryer and adjust the setpoint automatically. This not only reduces moisture variance, but also time and moisture barriers by more than 30 percent.

Available as part of the METER Food’s SKALA platform for drying intelligence, the Delta T continuous line module will augment SKALA’s advanced machine learning algorithm to generate actionable dashboards, optimize the drying process, and boost revenue.