METER Group Takes Over Drying Technology

METER Group acquires Drying Technology, Inc., enhancing availability to verified, closed-loop moisture control for continuous lines for the METER Food customers.

FREMONT, CA: METER Group, Inc. USA acquires Drying Technology, Inc., with the aim to improve METER Food clients' access to verified, closed-loop moisture control for continuous lines.

As a segment of METER Food's SKALA platform, Delta T Moisture Control delivers closed-loop drying intelligence for continuous lines. SKALA Delta T Moisture Control expands METER's capability to help processors accurately predict when a batch has been dried to the correct moisture level by combining it with METER's patented drying algorithm for producers who dry or bake items in batches utilizing ovens, smokers, and cure rooms.

Food moisture content variation is minimized due to Delta T sensor technology and a patented algorithm, which improves manufacturing efficiency and quality while reducing energy usage and waste. By utilizing real-time data and an exclusive control algorithm, this cutting-edge device reliably and precisely maintains the target moisture level within a dryer.

METER's new moisture control module integrates robust temperature sensors fitted inside the dryer with a proprietary control algorithm to automatically detect moisture variations and modify the setpoint. It decreases moisture variance, time, and moisture barriers by over 30 percent.

"This acquisition benefits METER Group and its customers on multiple fronts," said Takuya Ohki, VP of Food, METER Group. "As only 10 percent of Drying Technology's customers manufacture food, METER Food will bring our drying intelligence solutions to new markets while also offering Delta T closed-loop control to our installed customer base. It's the perfect complement to our portfolio, extending our ability to support manufacturers worldwide.

"While ROI improvement calculations vary, average energy costs drop between four and 10 percent. Some factories are ROI-positive in as little as a month, others take as long as six months, with the average being just under three months. Impact on the bottom line depends so much on the size of the company, number of lines, amount produced and the cost of finished goods. For example, one customer saw an $8 million increase in profits due to increased yield in the first year."

The Delta T continuous line module, part of METER Food's SKALA platform for drying intelligence, will enhance SKALA's sophisticated machine learning algorithm to provide actionable dashboards, optimize the drying process, and increase income.

"Our goal is to help processors predict exactly when the batch has been dried to the correct moisture level to conserve energy, time and waste from rework. The addition of Delta T Moisture Sensing and Control enhance METER Food's product offering, delivering complementary features with very little overlap either in product offering or customer base," added Ohki.