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Anton Paar Cobrix On-line Beverage Monitor

Product Brochure

Introduction

Continuous and automatic monitoring of °Brix, % Diet, carbon dioxide content and now even alcohol directly on the beverage production line is now a reality with the new COBRIX3 On-line Beverage Monitor. The COBRIX3 provides instantaneous and highly accurate results, requiring minimum supervision and maintenance.

The confidence obtained by its outstanding repeatability along with its drift free performance has established the COBRIX3 as the new standard in on-line beverage quality control measurement.

System Overview

The COBRIX3 On-line Beverage Monitor provides:

°Brix analysis

°Brix measurement can be performed extremely accurately by the density of the beverage. The applied density transducer ensures optimal system performance. The on-line measurement of the COBRIX3 exactly matches the well established and approved lab density method. This type of density measurement was introduced by Anton Paar in the late sixties and is now the worldwide standard for °Brix determination due to its accuracy and reliability.

CO2 analysis

The measuring principle for CO2 analysis of the beverage utilises the classical method according to Henry's Law. Anton Paar's newly developed "Impeller Method" for rapid attainment of equilibrium pressure within the sample volume considerably improves the on-line measurement. The on-line CO2 analysis from COBRIX3 exactly matches the "pressure/temperature" method most frequently applied in modern soft drink labs.

% Diet analysis

By combining high resolution density measurement with fast and accurate compensation for the effect of dissolved CO2 on measured density, meaningful % Diet results for the beverage can be determined to an accuracy that has been previously unattainable.

Measurement of sugar inversion

Using the combined Anton Paar density and sound velocity transducer, the COBRIX3 is even capable of measuring and correcting the sugar inversion of the soft drink. It can also measure alcohol, extract and other parameters in alcoholic lemonades (alcopops, malternatives, ...), beer and wine.

Signal Conditioning

The data processing unit is the electronic heart of the COBRIX3 system. It features a large, easy to read display showing °Brix or % Diet and the CO2 content. Other available readings are pressure and temperature as well as a line stop/running indication. Further features include a bottle or can counting input, automatic surveillance of brand-specific quality limits, analog outputs for connecting closed loop controllers and a serial interface for connecting the PC.

If required, COBRIX3 can automatically stop production to prevent out of spec beverage being bottled or canned.

Data Acquisition

The COBRIX3 on-line beverage monitor is controlled via a PC running the powerful DAVIS, WindowsTM based data acquisition and control software. Using DAVIS, brand specific settings such as target values, alarm limits, etc. can be stored and recalled for a virtually unlimited number of different beverages. The software includes graphical real-time trend indication, storage of all data and alarms, statistical analysis, and protocol reporting and printing. Due to the network capability of DAVIS, real-time values can be shown on several PCs throughout the plant simultaneously. Supervisory staff are able to monitor and review the production performance as DAVIS provides unlimited access to current and historical data.

Among the various display options for DAVIS, the trend display stands out clearly.

It provides a function to scroll back to the beginning of the production run, while continuing to collect and store the current data without any interference. Among many other selectable indications, line start/stop information is displayed. Alarms are indicated acoustically and by highlighting the corresponding measuring values. They can be reset by a simple mouse click. This allows the line to start up again, if the automatic line stop function has been enabled.

The statistical report contains mean, min/max and standard deviation of the measured values, operating and down times of the line, actual times and bottle/can numbers for product which was out of spec, history of adjustments, etc. At the end of each beverage production run, the statistical report can be printed out automatically, optionally containing user specific calculations such as process capability index, etc.

System Features

Ease of installation

Only electrical power and simple plumbing are required.

Ease of start-up

The instrument is pre-calibrated at the factory. Just turn on power to start the measurement. Brand specific fine tuning is performed during normal operation

Ease of use

Cleaning by standard CIP.

Long term stability and reliability

No drift of the °Brix, % Diet and CO2 results. Maintenance requirements are minimal and down time is minimal.

System Benefits

Eliminate out-of-specification product

Laboratory methods for quality control often take up to 15 minutes before results are known. Therefore, an accidental change during production inevitably causes significant losses in both time and yield. Continuous monitoring ensures product quality that is always right on target.

Improve line performance

The COBRIX3 on-line beverage monitor provides real time data for °Brix, % Diet and CO2 which allows the quick and effective adjustment of the blender and carboniser. Efficiency is improved by significant savings in syrup and CO2.

Decrease production costs

The very short response time of the COBRIX3 allows quick line start-ups and product changes. No adjustments are necessary. Exceeding pre-selected quality limits immediately activates alarms, thus avoiding the bottling of out of specification products.

Identify production problems quickly

Continuous measurement allows easy troubleshooting at the production line. Typical examples are: leaking valves, inefficient mixing, fluctuations of the CO2 saturation due to variations of the water temperature, etc.

Traceable quality

All quality related data are recorded and stored automatically. Line performance and product quality are therefore traceable 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

For further information or enquiries on the analysis of your process please contact us.