Test Equipment and Measurement Instrument Blog

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.

As evening frost begins to gather on our grass at home, we pull our fall sweaters out of storage and temperatures start to dip at night, it’s time to start thinking about those crops that are still waiting in the field for harvest.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac was first published in 1792. It was created by Benjamin Franklin to predict things like the times for the rising and setting of the sun, as well as the patterns of the tides, and overall weather predictions. And, as the name suggests, the Almanac served as a helpful guide, providing dates for farmers to know when to plow up the strawberry bed, or when to plant rutabagas. 

As of 2018, the global production of polymers reached 360 million metric tons. And by the year 2050, it’s estimated that the production of polymers will triple, accounting for one-fifth of total global oil consumption.

Moisture balances can be incredibly useful instruments—in labs, research facilities, the pharmaceutical industry, the paper industry, with food, plastics, chemicals— and beyond.