Oven ENR – 3MU – laboratory instrument a of new level.

Technical Director of “OLIS, Ph.D. Vereshchynsky A.P.

Director of “Analyt device” Prytyskach A.S.

“Storage and processing of grain” – 2008.

As is known, the moisture content of grain and grain products is a key indicator of their quality. Moisture acts medium for biochemical reactions and other transformations that define the behavior of grain and its anatomical parts in any process. Therefore, storage, movement of grain and all kinds of its processing are inseparably linked with the need to determine the moisture content.

There are two methods of moisture determination: direct and indirect. Direct methods based on the removal of the sample in any way water and measure the mass of the sample before and after its removal. Indirect methods of measuring humidity based on changes in the physical, electrical, chemical, and mechanical properties of grain and grain products, depending on their moisture. Naturally, that direct methods are more accurate, but for the implementation of indirect methods require much less time. Due to these advantages, demand is equipment, for both direct and for indirect methods. Therefore, the market of laboratory equipment offered a large variety of ovens, stoves, moisture meters, analyzers, etc. However, in all countries of the CIS unified and standardized laboratory method for determination of moisture is the air-heat method, implemented in accordance with GOST 13586.5-93. This method is the only recognized method of determining moisture, used at calculations for all operations with the grain.

According to GOST 13586.5-93 moisture determination is carried out by dehydration of the product sample in an air-heat oven at a fixed temperature and duration of drying, with subsequent determination of the mass-loss sample. These guests to set the method implementation of this method is designated list of necessary equipment and required its characteristics. In view of special importance, when implementing this method, strict requirements are imposed on air-heat oven, used for drying samples. Distinctive features of the cabinet must be: high accuracy of temperature of heated air flow uniformity in its internal volume of the drying chamber, and placing portions of dried samples in the sample bottle on a table rotating with a given frequency. According to GOST 13586.5-93 meets these requirements recommended to use oven ENR-3M. Therefore, drying cupboard ENR-3M-equipped and continue to be equipped with all the accreditation of the laboratory quality control of grain. Nevertheless, the ENR-3M developed more than fifty years ago, and survives today almost intact. It is using obsolete technical solutions and the element base attributable performance problems ENR-3M, the well-known and very bored with the laboratory staff. Attempts to install at the cabinet of the electronic unit to maintain the temperature could not fundamentally resolve the claim to the health unit. Breakdown in the mechanical part, failures and deviations in the temperature control is still generate a huge number of failures, which, together with the existing security problems cast doubt on the operation of such a device. By reviewing the circumstances of long-overdue need for an oven, not only deprived of the described shortcomings, but also of the modern concepts of industrial design, ergonomics and safety requirements.

Realizing the urgent need, importance and responsibility of the work, the company LLC “Analyt device”, known in the market of laboratory equipment for its professionalism in a complex laboratory equipment to assess the quality of grain offered collective enterprise of “OLIS” to solve the problem by creating a new level of the oven. It was agreed to, while maintaining all the design features and principles of the ENR-3M, which ensure compliance with this device GOST 13586.5-93, create a new oven element basis by using modern solutions in the instrument. During the development special attention was paid to ensure high reliability of all systems of the device, improving the accuracy and stability of air-temperature regimes, as well as reduce time-to instrument for steady operation modes. To ensure that the necessary requirements of the product were developed and approved the technical conditions TU 33.1-33506710-001: 2008 “cabinet drying ENR-3MU, as well as design and other documentation necessary for the production of this product in mass production. Under the safe operation of the product oven-3MU ENR (Fig. 1) was tested in SE “Scientific-Technical Center” «Stankosert», Odessa (test report number 07.10308.08P). According DSTU 3215-95 “Metrological certification of measuring equipment”, ENR-3MU was also the metrological tests on SE «Ukrmetrteststandard», Kyiv with the development and approval procedures of certification and verification. Past events ensure unimpeded use of this product not only in Ukraine but also in any country in the CIS, as well as the possibility of certification and verification at any authorized by the State Center for standardization, metrology and certification.

Fig. 1. Oven ENR-3MU

An important test of steel comparative trials of our product in reputable laboratories and production testing at the enterprises of the sector of bakery products.

Table 1 shows the results of determination of moisture content of different samples obtained in the laboratory of the department of technology of grain processing, Odessa National Academy of Food Technologies (ONAPT) and Table 2 – Results obtained in the laboratory of LСС «Kontekna» Ukraine Ltd , a certified system of GAFTA and ISO 9001.

Table 1. Moisture samples. Results ONAP.

Name of cabinet

 Sample 
№1, %

 Sample 
№2, %

 Sample 
№3, %

 Sample
№4, %

 Sample
 №5, %

 Sample
 №6, %

 Sample 
№7, %

 Sample
№8, %

Binder FD-53

11,49

11,48

11,51

11,47

12,69

12,43

15,88

12,44

ENR-3M

11,53

11,49

11,53

11,48

12,70

12,47

15,89

12,46

ENR-3MU

11,53

11,50

11,54

11,51

12,70

12,47

15,91

12,48