Merger leads to a new leader in measurement solutions!

NDC Infrared Engineering and Beta LaserMike, recognized global leaders in NIR (near infrared), nucleonic, optical, X-Ray, laser, microwave, ultrasonic and process control technology for non-contacting measurement and control solutions, have merged to create NDC Technologies. The combination strengthens the new company’s position in the marketplace by offering a more comprehensive portfolio of gauging solutions across a multitude of industries.  

NDC Technologies will offer four key product groups: 

• Web Solutions – for the converting, extrusion, calendering, and nonwovens industries, delivering real-time measurement and control of key product parameters such as product thickness, coating thickness, and basis weight.
• Sensors -- on-line gauges and at-line analyzers for the measurement of moisture and other key product constituents in the food, chemical, pharmaceutical, mineral, bulk materials and tobacco industries.
• X-ray gauges for metals – on-line measurement of thickness, coat weight, width and optical flatness measurement for the ferrous and non-ferrous metals industries.
• Ultrasonics & Lasers – non-contact gauges for the on-line and off-line measurement of diameter and ovality, wall thickness and eccentricity, length and speed, and other dimensional monitoring of products in the wire and cable, fiber optics, pipe and tube, building, nonwovens, paper, plastic, and metals industries.

Headquartered in Irwindale, (CA USA), NDC Technologies is part of Spectris PLC, a leading supplier of productivity enhancing instrumentation and controls based in England. With a commitment to innovation, the pooling of research and technology resources will streamline product development and rapidly address the evolving needs of industry and customers. In addition, the combined company has proven teams of talented, experienced employees with strong customer relationships and a commitment to customer excellence. The merger will increase the distribution channels and customer care network, expanding the company’s reach to better serve customers around the globe.

Meat analyser wins approval down under!

NDC InfraLab e-Series has received Aus-Meat® AMISLC Committee approval following independent testing by SGS to AOAC Methods for meat fat analysis

B-R controls P/L, NDC’s exclusive distributor in Australia for its range of On-Line and At-Line NIR Gauges and Analyzers, recently commissioned SGS Food & Agriculture Laboratory in Queensland, who are a NATA accredited testing laboratory (ISO 17025), to carry out independent testing of NDC’s InfraLab NIR Benchtop Meat Analyser with the aim of receiving Aus-Meat approval.

The resulting report was then submitted for assessment and on the 21st August, Aus-Meat granted its approval of the InfraLab for the measurement of of fat in meat up to CL 50 (chemical lean, equivalent to 50% fat content).

B-R Controls were supported by NDC’s Applications Technical Support group, and SGS performed the tests on 3 separate InfraLab fat analysers provided by NDC.

The reference method used for the fat analysis was:
• AOAC Official Method 991.36 Fat (Crude) in Meat and Meat Products Solvent Extraction (Submersion) Method, AOAC International, 2006

Multiple replicates of meat samples over a wide range of fat values from 5% to 50% were analysed using the AOAC method and the results compared to the reading obtained when analysing the same samples using each of the three NDC InfraLab units.

Extracts from SGS’s report Conclusion confirm:
“The calculated standard deviation of the three instruments compares more than favourably with the results that could be expected using the reference method.”

“The statistical analysis of the data obtained during the testing showed that all three instruments tested produced results on a single sample that had a very low relative standard deviation. Additionally, it was not possible to conclude statistically that any one instrument provided a different result from any other.”

This product is marketed in Ireland by Irish Power & Process.

New partnership!

An agreement has been reached between between Irish Power and Process (IPP) and the infrared instrument company NDC.

NDC On-line NIR Moisture Gauges and At-line Analysers are used for production control and quality assurance to measure constituents such as moisture, fat or oil, protein and coating thickness or coatweight.

Noel Heery, of IPP adds, "This new partnership includes sales of new equipment and service cover for existing users."

NIR food analyser

NDC Infrared Engineering has launched a new InfraLab e-Series Multi-component At-Line Food Analyser. Suitable for snack foods, biscuits & cookies, chocolate, meat, breakfast cereals, cheese, coffee, dairy powders, wheat, grain & seeds, tea and food ingredient powders, and more. The analyser uses non-contacting multi-wavelength NIR technology to measure moisture or oil/fat and protein. Calibrated to the process plant’s primary reference methods, the InfraLab provides measurements right beside the production line - to laboratory accuracy.

With a measurement period of less than 10 seconds, minimum sample preparation and no special user skills requirement, the InfraLab e-Series helps to improve process insight to reduce variation and control the process average closer to the specification limits. InfraLab’s consistent and accurate measurements are completely independent of product and ambient changes in the process area such as: temperature, relative humidity and factory lighting. Key benefits offered by the InfraLab include reduced operator dependency, improved batch consistency and improved traceability.

Recognising that food processing companies use many different primary reference methods, either in-house or externally, the InfraLab’s linear factory calibrations are easily adjusted to provide equivalent measurements, saving on analysis costs and laboratory overhead and delivering considerable time advantages. Each measurement is pre-loaded into the InfraLab and can be selected from the drop-down menu within the intuitive touchscreen user interface.

Connectivity via Ethernet to Management Information Systems, LIMS laboratory networks or to a PC, as well as extensive integral memory capacity, enable the display or storage of vital quality data wherever it is needed – both locally and centrally.

Meat analyser at IFFA

NDC Infrared Engineering will be showing the simple-to-use InfraLab at-line NIR Meat Analyzer at IFFA (8/13 may 2010 Frankfurt/Main D). At-line measurement using NDC’s proven NIR (Near Infrared) technology, provides a rapid and accurate measurement of moisture, fat or protein in meat, without the need to send samples off for time-consuming laboratory analysis.

The InfraLab can be calibrated to standard laboratory methods such as Gravimetric Oven or Karl Fischer for moisture, Soxhlet (for crude fat), Werner-Schmidt or Weibull Stoldt (for total fat), NMR (for fat) and Kjeldahl for protein. This ensures laboratory accuracy without the costs or the need to use the often-hazardous chemicals associated with laboratory methods. In addition the grab samples used by the InfraLab are much larger than those used by many laboratory techniques making them much more representative of the actual manufacturing process.

Easy to use, and with automated sample detection, the InfraLab requires no special user skills. Measurement data can be stored in the instrument and/or downloaded to a PC at any time for in-depth analysis by tracking measurement values product by product over long time periods.