A REVIEW OF NIR APPLICATIONS FOR PROCESS CONTROL PURPOSES

THE USE OF NIR in cane payment has increased dramatically over the past 10 years. While this technique is well known, NIR has also been a useful tool in a wide variety of other applications, particularly concerning process control and quality assurance. This paper aims to highlight some of these lesser known applications in order to improve industry implementation and to encourage the development of future NIR-based applications. The methods reviewed in this document include: maceration control, clarifier phosphate control, maintenance scheduling, nutrient management, process control for LoGiCaneâ„¢ sugar production, bagasse process control and harvester practices. These NIR based systems have not had as much attention as cane payment primarily due to the fact that their associated benefits are derived via more indirect means and over a longer timeframe. Many of these systems are already in use and, while some require further work, all exhibit great potential. The majority of mills in Australia have NIR systems for cane payment and these same systems can be used for many more process control and quality assurance purposes. The primary message of this document is that the real power of NIR technology is not solely in the data that is produced, but in how that data is applied to bring gains to the industry.