Check the exact gas content in a closed bottle without creating waste
Article by Marcio Amazonas , ACM Americas ’ President ( mca @ acm . co . at )
Since 1995 , ACM has established itself as the global reference in the use of laser sources ( light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation ) to measure concentrations of important beverage quality parameters such as dissolved solids ( o Brix ) and gases ( O 2
, CO 2 , N 2
). Fast and precise readings are now required to move to Industry 4.0 standards , with real-time monitoring and regulation of manufacturing processes such as fermentation , de-aeration , blending , and carbonation of beverages .
In the past decade , ACM has innovated further by joining renowned institutions in the development of nondestructive test methods , measuring gases in the headspace of a closed bottle . Using laser light absorbance , a faster , more accurate , and more economic method is now available to beverage makers worldwide . Compared to conventional technologies , non-invasive gas measurement methods have the following key advantages :
# 1 - HIGHER PRECISION AND ACCURACY
Graph 1
Numerous studies have found that most methods and test results correlate well . The deviations between different instruments , however , are quite significant , which raises the following question : Which instrument generated the closest results to the true value ? The answer is provided in the MEBAK guidelines used by brewers , which set the reference value obtained by wet chemistry ( Blom and Lund titration apparatus ). A comparative study performed by the German Beer Institute showed that ACM ’ s nondestructive test method LAB . CO had near perfect agreement with titration , with deviation within the precision of both methods ( see graph 1 ).
72 FDPP - www . fdpp . co . uk
LAB . CO results correlate perfectly with the industry standard method ( German Beer Institute , Cologne , 2011 )
The LAB . CO results are repetitive and reproducible with +/ - 0.2 % precision ( acceptable instrument precision requires R & R results < 1 %). Academic studies from reputable research centers led to the recognition of this new measuring method by legally accredited wine and beer authorities in Austria and Germany . Leading brewers , wine makers and mineral water bottlers have officially adopted the technology around the world since 2009 . Studies conducted by the Brazilian Food Packaging Institute ( ITAL / CETEA ) are currently supporting the adoption by soft drink and bottled water brands in Latin American countries .