Product Control and Monitoring

Quality assurance and product control are vital in all product manufacturing industries — from beverages to medication. However, function checks of production plants, or "monitoring", is also important.

The parameters to be monitored in quality assurance and control vary according to the products being manufactured.

• In beverage production, quality is influenced by the oxygen content. If it is too high, oxidation can occur resulting in a loss of freshness and aroma, faster ageing of the beverage and greater proliferation of microorganisms. 
• The pharmaceutical industry is subject to stringent regulations. Key parameters laid down by the various pharmacopoeias include colour and opalescence (turbidity).
• By contrast, the VOA/TIC ratio is an indicator of the yield and output of a plant in biogas production.
• Other industries use chemicals that can be harmful to human health. Fixed limits are imposed, which must not be exceeded. For example, chipboard production uses formaldehyde, the concentration of which has to be accurately monitored.

Monitoring is defined as the systematic measurement and recording of relevant parameters of a defined sample over a specified period. It is used to control plants, processes, watercourses and bodies of standing water.

Monitoring allows limit violations, faults and exceptional conditions to be quickly detected, located and eliminated. In plants and processes, monitoring generally takes place online. By contrast, water monitoring is carried out by means of sampling and laboratory measurements.

The parameters taken into account in water monitoring include the following:

• Turbidity
• Oxygen
• Temperature
• Nutrients (COD, TOC, BOD, NO3-; NO2-; NH4+; PO43-)
• Salts (anions and cations)
• pH
• Conductivity
• Toxicity
• Heavy metals

We offer the correct solutions for each of these scenarios. With over 75 years' experience in laboratory and online water analysis, HACH LANGE can be relied upon to deliver an expert service.