Characterisation of blending mixers using Multivariate AMT Regression (MAR) & TOS

Collaboration with IDE-CON, Porsgrunn (Norway) is aimed at developing a proto-type image analytical facility for on-line characterisation of industrial mixer outputs. The first stage (2000-2001) is directed towards validation of the efficiency of the batch type IB3 mixer, as applied to blending of frozen vegetable mixtures, produced by a leading Norwegian food sector company. These first forays have focused on involving Pierre Gy's Theory of Sampling (TOS) for quantitative characterisation of the heterogeneity reduction obtained by IB3. This project has highlighted the difficulties involved in securing representative samples from working production lines, from a working industrial mixer in this case. Two M.Sc. studies had to solve a particular, very difficult sample extraction (fixation) problem before significant progress could be achieved. The project results proved to have significant impact on the current strategic R&D decisions by the present ACACSRG research group. (Kim H. Esbensen, Dawn Fields Karlsrud, Thorleif Simonsen, Casper K. Dahl, Lars Petersen)