SpectraAlyzer GRAIN – All Grain Analyzer and Quality Check

How it works

The SpectraAlyzer GRAIN is an all grain analyser and quality check instrument designed for the analysis of solid bulk materials in diffuse transmittance.

The instrument takes spectra of the samples in the short-wavelength range of the near infrared (SW-NIR) radiation. In this spectral range, the absorbance of the sample material is much lower than at higher wavelengths, so that there is still sufficient light intensity left for detection even when the radiation has passed several centimeters of sample. This technique is especially of interest when inhomogeneous samples like whole grains or bigger particles shall be analyzed. In case of grains, it is essential to obtain spectral information from inside the kernels and to make sure that this information is sufficiently representative.

When a grain sample is illuminated/ transmitted with NIR light (NIT Near Infrared transmission), the radiation is partly absorbed, partly scattered, and partly reflected by the kernels. As a result, the beam is no longer well defined in terms of geometric optics (like the transmittance characteristics of water or other clear liquids); this is why the measuring principle is called diffuse transmittance.

The amount of light absorbed by the sample at different wavelengths is directly related to the concentration of chemical functional groups, such as C-H; O-H, and N-H. As these concentrations are in turn related to concentrations of the parameters of interest – for example protein, moisture, or oil – property values can be determined.

The SpectraAlyzer GRAIN – All grain analyser and quality check instrument, is shipped with pre-installed standard calibration models for many products, parameters, and countries where typical applications are:

Grain reception/trading/malting

• Wheat, durum wheat, rice, barley, corn, soy, malt, green malt, rye, oats, triticale, sorghum/milo, lentils, beans, green and chick peas and others

Flour milling

• Wheat and rye flour, semolina, ground wheat, rice meal and flour, soy meal, corn meal and flour and others

Oilseed crushing

• Soybean, canola/rapeseed, sunflower (ground) and others All calibrations provide accurate analytical values and are 100 % transferrable between instruments!

Calibration software

By having all the software tools at hand an innovative calibration model wizard and simple to understand work flow allows even unskilled users to adjust existing and create new calibration models.

The Application worx software package uses database and PLS statistic functions to create the calibration model. In routine use Application worx can be used as direct operating software, giving full access to the instrument while retrieving high resolution spectral data for extended calibration work.