Test Equipment and Measurement Instrument Blog

Peanuts are a popular food across the country. Used in a variety of recipes and the primary ingredient in peanut butter, the United States produced around 6.13 billion pounds of peanuts in 2020 alone. Many of these peanuts went into the processing of peanut butter. Peanuts are versatile. They go into sandwiches, entrees, and even baked goods. It’s estimated that around 300 million Americans eat peanut butter, while only about 32 million do not. 

For quite some time, wheat farmers would take their freshly harvested crops to market instead of drying and storing them. This is largely because it takes quite a bit of time to properly dry and manage wheat for long-term storage, and if there’s one thing that farmers have in short supply, it’s time.

In 2019 and 2020, the United States was, by far, the largest producer of corn across the globe, reaching an astonishing 345 million metric tons of corn in one year alone, or over one-third of the whole global corn production.

Have you heard about the acronym FAT TOM? It’s shorthand for those in the food production and food-grade crop industries and refers to the factors and conditions that allow bacteria and other contaminants to grow, which can lead to food spoilage.

Soybean crops typically begin to reach their full maturity in late September as the seasons start to change. When the days get shorter and temperatures start to cool, leaves on soybean plants slowly turn yellow. By mid-October and November, these leaves turn brown and fall off, leaving the mature soybean pods behind, ready for harvest. 

While most growers understand that in an ideal world, corn crops would all be harvested when they reach the standard moisture level of 15.5 percent, these same growers would be quick to tell you that when it comes to farming, there is no “ideal world,” and that each growing season brings it's own unique set of challenges. 

Are you in the business of researching, developing or making… just about anything?

Chances are, no matter what industry you’re in, a composition analyzer can add accuracy and precision to your work and create a top-quality product that’s free from harmful contaminants or flaws.

We rely on plastics and polymers for just about everything in our lives, from cars to toothbrushes, heart stents to eyeglasses. Even parts of the most technologically advanced airplanes like the Boeing Dreamliner are made from plastics. 

What would you do with a compass that didn’t point toward true north? Or a watch that never told the correct time? Or a car speedometer that told you that you were driving faster or slower than you actually were?

No matter how high caliber your moisture meter (or composition meter) is, an instrument is only as strong as its calibrations. There’s a lot riding on getting a correct reading: Concrete foundations can crumble, stored grain harvests can spoil, pharmaceuticals can degrade or become toxic.

We live in a world where we are increasingly surrounded by "smart" technology. From smartwatches and other wearable devices to virtual assistants and even smart lawnmowers, and ceiling fans, smart technology is all around us.