FOSS IN GRAIN, FLOUR MILLING

& OILSEED PROCESSING

Grain production has provided us material to finished product. That is
with challenges ever since man began why we have spent the last 60 years
to harvest. Today, weather patterns, developing and refining instruments
effective handling and varying yield that measure every little step of the
are just some of the critical factors way. We translate measurements into
we need to consider in our quest to mathematical algorithms that power
feed the growing global population. automated systems, optimise your
Advanced grain analysis supported by manufacturing process and make you
the latest in digital connectivity can grow. Securing and improving food
show the way. quality is what we do.

By driving digitalisation forward, you Neither natural resources nor

can add a new level of automation to knowledge go to waste. Intelligent
your business and secure quality and information management can turn
consistency. You will be able to limit existing production into efficient
the number of human errors that slow processes that generate less waste,
you down. Scale your business faster. bigger yields and higher quality.
And reduce manual labour and labour
costs. We call it:

A lot can be lost and a lot can

be won on the journey from raw

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WE HELP YOU TO SECURE THE
BEST RAW MATERIAL ...

Plant breeding On Farm Receival

The super grain that will save the What is the crop really worth? Grains, oilseeds and pulses – they
world’s food problems – unlikely to Should I segregate and blend can all be tested quickly, easily
be found, but ongoing research in before delivery? Where should and accurately for payment and
plant breeding is leading to higher we start harvesting and when? If segregation. Most grains, oilseeds
yields and improved resistance to it can’t be measured it can’t be and pulses can be analysed directly
drought, disease and pests. managed. without any sample preparation
and, thanks to technology
FOSS analytical solutions provide On farm testing with FOSS developed by FOSS, you get
convenient routine analysis equipment gives accurate correct results whatever the
options with either near infrared measurements in line with those weather or location.
(NIR) or automated chemical at the receival site used for grower
analysis for reference analysis. payments.

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AND PUT IT TO THE BEST
POSSIBLE USE

Intake In production Final products

At intake to crushing or milling, In the process, continuous At product release, rapid,
virtually instant measurements of measurements keep you in the reliable tests allow you to release
key parameters such as moisture, picture avoiding nasty surprises shipments with confidence.
protein and oil content allow you and helping to streamline your
to decide how to store and use production for optimal results.
raw material.
Accurate and timely information
about key parameters such as
protein, moisture and ash allow
you to fine-tune processes for
profit and consistent quality.

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PLANT BREEDING WITH NEAR INFRARED
(NIR) OR AUTOMATED CHEMICAL
ANALYSIS FOR REFERENCE ANALYSIS

FOSS solutions include the ability to present small required to develop the calibrations or equations
and delicate samples without destroying the sample. upon which such analysers depend. For today’s busy
In addition to protein, moisture and oil in grain, laboratory automated testing systems that generate
other ready-to-use application models are available rapid and well-documented results are essential for
such as extract for beer production and moisture in quality environmental management. Automated
green malt. Chemical Analysis (CA) systems address the needs
of these laboratories with a wide range of tried and
For the many additional applications, users can tested solutions covering the so-called compositional
develop their own calibrations using FOSS calibration or proximates testing.
development software. An example is the analysis
of nitrogen in rice leaves as the taste of rice is deeply In addition, a significant volume of analyses remain
related to its protein content. within the laboratory environment for QC/QA,
labelling and product development purposes. To
The high transferability of calibrations and the ability support your compliance with governmental bodies
to link instruments in a network allow instruments and Quality Assurance programme, FOSS offers
and result data to be coordinated from a central documentation for equipment qualification covering
location, to guarantee identical results in all installation and operational qualification (IQ/OQ) as
locations. well as performance qualification (PQ).

Reference analysis
Despite the obvious advantage of indirect NIR
methods; robust, reliable reference methods are

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For over 30 years
FOSS has led the
way in calibration
development around
the globe

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 ON FARM
ANALYSIS WITH
ALIGNED NEAR
INFRARED

The idea of giving farmers a portable instrument

to measure grain in the field is nothing new, but
until recently, getting the measurements in line
with the measurements at the receival site has been
problematic.

On farm measurements with FOSS equipment

(InfratecTM Sofia) are fully aligned with the results
given by payment analysis at the receiving station
(InfratecTM NOVA or InfratecTM 1241). The Infratec
NOVA and Infratec 1241 have a number of approvals
for trade purposes and are the official system used
for payment by bulk grain handlers around the
world.

Deliveries can be made safe in the knowledge that

they won’t be rejected for excess moisture. And
grain can be segregated and blended on farm for
optimal price according to market demands, for
instance, in some years and markets, a difference
of just 0.1% in protein can mean the difference
between high and low premium payment.
FossManager™
Keeping it all up to date
FOSS solutions can be connected to the internet, so
even though a farmer testing grain in a field miles
from the nearest town may appear to be a long way
from the bustle of international grain markets, he is
FOSS Digital Services can help you reduce your still, in fact, an integrated part of the supply chain.
production costs and secure the quality of your
products regardless of where they are produced. With a web-based update system keeping his grain
Our digital services will ensure you have peace analyser up to date for example, with adjustments
of mind knowing that your data is backed up and improvements to calibrations according to
and protected for whenever you need it. seasonal changes, the measurements are as reliable
as any made on the journey from the field to the
table.

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RELIABLE AND RAPID GRAIN
ANALYSIS FOR RECEIVALS
AND TRADE
Rapid analysis at the weighbridge has become Visual grain testing
indispensible for modern grain receival. Today, The current process of grading by visually inspecting
over 10,000 InfratecTM grain analysers are in use grain is subjective. Furthermore, getting highly
for testing grain at receival sites. The Infratec is skilled staff in place often at remote locations can
the official system used for payment by bulk grain be problematic and costly during the busy harvest
handlers around the world and has a number of sea­son. The EyeFossTM encapsulates valueable
approvals for trade purposes. experience, empowering any operator to make
assessments. EyeFoss instruments are moni­tored and
Grains, oilseeds and pulses can all be tested quickly, managed via the internet for consistent measure­
easily and accurately for payment and segregation. ments across multiple sites.
Most can be analysed directly without any sample
preparation and, thanks to the Infratec stabilising Smaller grain receival sites
technique patented by FOSS, you get correct results Knowing the quality of your grain is just as
whatever the weather. important for smaller, low infrastructure sites for
segregation and marketing of grain. The InfratecTM
The huge Infratec database comprises over 50,000 Sofia is a robust, portable analyser offering reliable
cross checked samples, PLS and robust ANN-based measurements aligned with the Infratec grain
calibrations building on a wide sample range from analyser.
many years of harvests. This gives a level of accuracy
and stability that enables Infratec to test even the Infratec Sofia measurements are based on the
most unusual samples. same comprehensive data used to calibrate Infratec
instruments.
A Test Weight Module allows rapid and accurate
volume weight determination of the grain for milling
potential and efficient silo management.

Networked instruments
Payment analysis must deliver unquestionable
reliability and uniformity, regardless of location and
operating conditions – a requirement that networked
Infratec instruments have effectively addressed by
giving identical measurements, wherever they are Some of the main commodities
located. All major grain producing countries now use that can be measured quickly and
FOSS ANN calibrations and the Infratec system. accurately at receival
Infratec networks have been recognised by both Grains: Wheat, durum wheat, barley, corn, oats,
commercial and governmental authorities from the rye, triticale, sorghum/milo, rough rice
introduction of the first network in 1991 and, today, Oilseeds: Soybean, rapeseed/canola, sunflower,
more than 7000 Infratec instruments are linked in cotton, peanuts
global networks. Pulses: Lentils, faba beans, chick peas, green peas,
lupins

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Global calibrations
Grain processing is truly a global
industry with raw materials being
traded in international markets.

FOSS global calibrations are

developed using data obtained
from all over the world with
data from over 50,000 samples
from more than 20 harvests.
Calibrations have been developed
in collaboration with regulatory
authorities and customers around
the world.

The unique development of

Artificial Neural Networks (ANN)
has created large calibration
models that cover multiple
products. Calibrations are
continuously being expanded with
new raw materials and updated
with new data to ensure the latest
crops and varieties are covered.

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FLOUR MILLING INTAKE AND
PROCESSING

FOSS solutions add significant value when

acquiring grain for milling wheat flour,
semolina, soy meal, ground wheat, middles, rice
meal, corn meal, etc.

Moisture and protein in batches of whole grain are

measured as they arrive at the flour mill. This allows
the perfect blend of grain for consistent quality
products downstream in the milling process. It also
helps to improve the tempering process by allowing
the right timing, use of energy and water according
to the exact nature of the grain.

Bench top analysis at intake with volume/

weight determination
Robust, easy to use, bench top solutions can be
positioned at the weighbridge for a virtually instant
test. In addition to testing moisture and protein, a
bench top solution can measure Test Weight for an
accurate volume weight determination of the grain.
Ash is cash:
Test Weight is a widely recognised specification in
New levels of accuracy provided by NIR grain grading because it is related to the degree
technology is helping millers to save of quality and is often used as an index of milling
thousands of euros through better yield. potential. Moisture content, climate conditions,
kernel size, density and packing factors affect test
weight. The volume weight can also be used as a silo
management tool to optimise the storage space in
the silo.

Flour milling intake

Recently, the concept of using near infrared analysis
for periodic testing of grain deliveries has been taken
a step further by FOSS with the ProFossTM whole
grain in-line analyser. This system can measure entire
batches of grain using a specially designed sample
interface that analyses the grain as it is conveyed
in a standard pipe or transport system without the
need for sample diverters. It then feeds a continuous
stream of analysis data back to a computer in your
control room.

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TAKE CONTROL OF
THE MILLING PROCESS

Rapid, routine analysis with FOSS instruments Results are displayed on a screen within a minute.
gives a higher level of knowledge in milling and Likewise, falling number tests are made fast,
is setting new standards for quality control in convenient and reliable with a modern approach to
the ancient art of producing flour. the traditional test method.

With reliable information about moisture, protein, An eye in the process

ash, gluten, water absorption and other key In addition to bench top analysers, NIR analysis can
parameters, you can improve the consistency of be applied directly in the process stream. Taking
end products and the entire milling process. For measurements every few seconds, solutions such
instance, new levels of accuracy in measuring critical as ProFoss™ provide critical information about
parameters such as ash offers improved yield. The your process 24/7 for optimal quality products and
instruments are also highly robust complying with improved profitability in flour analysis.
ISO 12099 standards. NIR instruments are tailor
made for routine analysis in a laboratory or close to Monitoring process variations using a trend chart
the production line. and a moving average function enables the
detection of process variations that are significantly
In the laboratory or control room smaller than the standard error of prediction (SEP)
Bench top analysis can be performed quickly and of a laboratory analyser. Even if one result is wrong
easily by anyone working in the plant, for example, for some reason, this has no influence on the overall
with the latest NIR technology, the sample is just result because a new result will be generated a few
poured into a cup and placed in the instrument. seconds later.

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OIL SEED INTAKE AND CRUSHING
Take control The key to oil crushing starts by controlling the
Whether you work in oil-seed trading, crushing quality of the raw material at the intake. Throughout
and refining, meal production or with traditional the subsequent production cycle, FOSS dedicated
production of olive oil, reliable measurement results analytical solutions deliver rapid reliable information
delivered in a simple, timely way give you more in a simple and convenient way to help you to
power to control production for optimal quality and improve your profitability.
profit. Analysis results for key control parameters
are delivered in a fast, convenient way to help you Just one example is in oil crushing where FOSS
simplify lab operations, avoid rework in production, solutions help to control the quality of the oil
ensure end-product quality and get the very best out seeds at the intake so that you pay for what’s really
of valuable raw material. important - the oil content. Another example can
be taken from vegetable oil refinery. As much as 25
tonnes or so of edible oil can flow through a typical
vegetable oil plant every hour. The removal of Free
Tools for end product control Fatty Acids (FFA) relies on the correct amount of
inputs, too little and you don’t remove all the FFAs,
FOSS supplies both indirect (infrared) too much and you waste good materials. Reliable
and chemical analysis solutions for end and frequent information from FOSS solutions
product control. For chemical analysis we provides more power to control production, reduce
can provide a complete range of solutions the risk of re-work and ultimately, improve profit.
aimed at automating steps for speed and
safety while minimising use of chemicals.

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TYPICAL Nine good reasons
to consider FOSS
APPLICATIONS solutions for the oil
FOR FOSS crushing industry

SOLUTIONS 1. Raw material at the right price -

Pay the right price for oil seeds on
an objective measurement of oil
content and moisture.
All in one, 2. Quality in, quality out - Make fast
soy bean analysis and accurate spot checks on crude
The InfratecTM NOVA can be oil before it enters your refining
used to control soy beans for process or check the oil content
oils and moisture at intake. of seeds before they enter the
crushing process.
And with the sample transport
module option you can use 3. Avoid re-work - Continuous
the same unit to test soy meal information about key parameters
for moisture, fat, protein of the oil flowing through your
and fibre at the end of the production lets you get production
process. right first time.
4. Segregate for profit - A fast and
accurate indication of how your
olive oil matches up to IOOC
Improving yield standards allows you to segregate
in olive oil production batches for maximum profit.
Rapid analysis of fat and 5. Effective lab work - Take
moisture in olive paste and advantage of fast and safe
pomace with the smart, easy methods of conducting standard
to use OliviaTM analyser is an wet chemistry analysis.
obvious way to improve yield, 6. Act now - Key information
for example, by ensuring the delivered just when you need
milling process is as efficient it gives you the power to spot
as possible. problems and act promptly.
7. Improve operations with automatic
control - Integrate a FOSS
process control solution into your
production and enjoy hands-free
Optimal process monitoring/control 24 hours a day.
control with inline NIR 8. Your own on-site laboratory -
Continuous measurements Practical and simple to use FOSS
of moisture, protein solutions, avoid waiting for results
and oil content in soya from an external laboratory.
meal directly from the 9. Enhance your reputation with
production process helps consistent products - Check
you to improve efficiency finished batches and prove to
while also improving quality customers that products match
and profit. required specifications.

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 TECHNOLOGY
OVERVIEW

Near infrared reflectance

and transmittance
FOSS NIR solutions use either near infrared
transmittance or near infrared reflectance
technology all according to the job to be done.
When measuring whole grain for instance,
near infrared transmittance used in the
InfratecTM NOVA grain analyser offers superior
performance. Measurements are made in a
lower wavelength range, 850-1050 nm. The
higher energy level of the light in the lower
range allows for deeper penetration into the
grain kernels, so not only the surface, but also
the inner part of the kernel is measured, giving a
superior representation of the sample analysed.

In contrast, for measuring samples such as

flour, near infrared reflectance across a broad
wavelength from 1100 nm up to 2500 nm is
ideal for testing parameters such as ash and
other key parameters such as moisture, protein
and colour. FOSS solutions such as the NIRSTM
DS2500 have a unique signal-to-noise ratio
giving an ultimate measure of ash and other
low level parameters in need of accuracy. In
addition, a combination of cup rotation and
sub-scans measures different points in the
sample for accurate results.

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Near infrared in the Image analysis
process
Near Infrared can also be applied directly in the The EyeFossTM instrument uses image analysis
process flow with the ProFoss™ analyser. For technology to provide an objective supplement
instance, in flour milling, the ProFoss can be to existing visual checks performed by the
mounted directly in the milling process where it human eye. It captures data and then processes
measures the flour as it flows through the pipes it using a series of calibrations to determine
for moisture, protein and ash every few seconds. grain quality.
The results are fed back to a computer in the
mill control room and displayed on an intuitive It has been de­signed specifically to perform
graphical interface. objective visual quality assessments of wheat,
barley and durum such as identification of
Measurements are made using a high-intensity sprouted grain, weed seeds and un-millable
dual-lamp light source that illuminates the material as well as grain defects such as broken,
sample directly or through an optical fibre. mould, stained or frost damage.
The light interacts with the sample and the
reflected or transmitted light is measured by the Networking software called FossManagerTM is
diode array sensor. The complete wavelength used to ensure that all instruments perform the
range is measured instantaneously enabling same. An instrument can be connected into
measurements to be accurately carried out a network allow­ing calibration and software
even on fast moving samples. Calibrations are updates to be made by an expert user via the
transferable between units and integration to internet. The expert can also monitor the
process regulation systems through Kepware. instrument to ensure optimal performance at all
Ethernet network is preferred, but Profibus, times.
Profinet or analogue signals can also be used.

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 Digital connectivity Calibrations and
transferability
FossManager™ networking solutions remotely A key principle behind FOSS analytical solutions
manage, configure and calibrate all your is that it should be simple for any business to
analytical instruments. take advantage of. In relation to near infrared
instruments, ready-to-use Artificial Neural
A network comprises a group of standardised Network (ANN) calibrations are a key part of
instruments controlled from a Network the FOSS solution. Robust, stable and based on
Administration Centre ensuring that all units 25 years of data collection reflecting seasonal
will give the same performance independent and geographic variations, the calibration
of operator or location. The master instrument has achieved a unique position as a platform
is also used to monitor the accuracy of the for advanced grain analysis operations. The
calibrations. Infratec™ NIR calibration is now a European
standard for measuring protein and moisture in
The entire network can quickly be updated or whole grain of wheat and barley.
upgraded with new calibrations from the centre.
Administration costs are reduced, administrative New instruments are backwards-compatible
routines are simplified, and duplication of effort with the older calibration databases. In this
is eliminated. way, databases have continuously been
expanded and today the largest ones contain
more than 50,000 samples. Continuous design
improvements over successive generations of
instruments have also improved the stability and
uniformity of individual instruments, leading
to excellent calibration transferability across
populations of instruments with very little
calibration adjustment required.

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Unified Grain Moisture Automated laboratory
Algorithm methods
High-frequency (149 mHz) UGMA compliant Standard methods such as Dumas and Kjeldahl
test. This penetrates deep into the kernel to are not always the most convenient tests to
give accurate results for moisture in all types of perform, but are nonetheless essential for
grains, beans and pulses reference and labelling purposes, while the
standard falling number test remains the only
effective way to test for weather damage at
grain receival.

FOSS automated laboratory solutions include

many innovative features designed to make
these universal tests as fast, cost-effective
and safe as possible. The cooling lid on the
Alphatec™ FNO analyser, for example, helps
avoid a rush of hot steam when loading
samples, while batch handling automation
offered by the Kjeltec™ and Dumatc™ improves
throughput of samples during Kjeldahl analysis.

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FOSS
Foss Allé 1
DK-3400 Hilleroed
Denmark

Tel.: +45 7010 3370

[email protected]

May 2019. GB fossanalytics.com