Continuous inline moisture measurement Mutec DYNAmoist – Humy 301

The HUMY 301 is an continuous inline moisture measurement designed to continuously monitor the moisture content of bulk solids directly within the production process. By delivering real-time moisture data, the system enables automatic process adjustments, helping manufacturers optimize drying operations, control humidification systems, and maintain consistent product quality throughout the production line.

Unlike conventional laboratory testing, HUMY 301 provides continuous 24/7 monitoring without interrupting production. Operators receive immediate feedback whenever moisture levels deviate from the target range, allowing corrective actions before product quality is affected. Continuous measurement also reduces energy consumption, minimizes off-spec production, and improves overall process efficiency.

Based on advanced capacitive measurement technology combined with intelligent signal processing, HUMY 301 measures the actual moisture content throughout the bulk material, rather than only the surface layer as with some optical technologies. The sensor is suitable for numerous bulk solid applications, including cement, minerals, food ingredients, chemicals, plastics, paper, biomass, wood pellets, recycling, and other industrial materials.

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What is the HUMY 301 Moisture Sensor?

The HUMY 301 is an industrial inline moisture sensor designed for continuous moisture measurement of bulk solids. Using capacitive sensing technology, it measures moisture content directly within the material flow and transmits real-time data to PLCs, SCADA systems, or other industrial automation platforms.

The sensor can be installed directly on conveyors, screw conveyors, chutes, pipes, or hoppers, allowing moisture monitoring without interrupting production or requiring manual sampling.
Unlike laboratory testing, which provides only periodic measurements, HUMY 301 continuously monitors moisture throughout the entire production process. This enables manufacturers to optimize drying systems, improve product consistency, and reduce production costs.

Typical applications include:

• Cement, limestone, sand, and construction materials
• Coal and coke
• Animal feed
• Grain and malt
• Plastic pellets
• Fertilizers
• Cellulose and paper products
• Wood chips and wood pellets
• Chemical powders and granular materials

How Does the HUMY 301 Work?

HUMY 301 operates using capacitive moisture measurement technology. During operation, the sensor generates a high-frequency electromagnetic field around its sensing surface. As bulk material passes through the measurement zone, the system detects changes in the material’s dielectric properties and high-frequency signal attenuation to calculate its moisture content.

Water has a significantly higher dielectric constant than most bulk materials. By measuring these dielectric changes, the sensor accurately determines the moisture content without direct contact with water or the need for chemical analysis.

Compared with many alternative moisture measurement technologies, capacitive sensing offers several advantages in industrial environments:

• Unaffected by ambient light
• Independent of material color
• Resistant to dust and steam interference
• Not influenced by pH values
• Unaffected by electrical conductivity of the material
• Suitable for a wide variety of bulk materials after calibration

For optimum performance, the material should remain in direct contact with the sensing surface while passing through the measurement area. Stable material density, bed height, and material flow help achieve the highest measurement repeatability and accuracy.

Measures the Entire Material, Not Just the Surface

One of the key advantages of the HUMY 301 is its ability to measure the actual moisture content throughout the bulk material, rather than simply evaluating surface moisture.

The sensor’s electromagnetic field penetrates approximately 200 mm into the material, allowing it to analyze moisture within the entire material stream. This is particularly valuable for powders, pellets, and granular products where moisture distribution may vary significantly between the surface and the core.

By measuring bulk moisture instead of surface moisture alone, HUMY 301 delivers more representative process data for industrial automation systems and supports applications such as:

• Dryer control
• Humidification control
• Raw material quality monitoring
• Finished product quality control
• Continuous process optimization

Benefits of Using the HUMY 301 Moisture Sensor

Implementing an inline moisture measurement system offers significant advantages beyond simple process monitoring. It improves product consistency, reduces operating costs, and enables smarter process control.

Real-Time Moisture Monitoring

HUMY 301 continuously measures moisture throughout production, allowing operators to detect deviations immediately instead of waiting for laboratory test results.

Reduced Manual Sampling

Traditional sampling methods represent only a small portion of the production process and often introduce delays. HUMY 301 significantly reduces the need for manual sampling while minimizing human error.

Lower Energy Consumption

Continuous moisture measurement enables precise dryer control, helping prevent over-drying or under-drying. This improves energy efficiency and reduces operating costs.

Improved Product Quality

Maintaining stable moisture levels results in more consistent product quality, lower rejection rates, and reduced production waste.

High Measurement Accuracy

After calibration for the target material, HUMY 301 can achieve measurement accuracy of up to ±0.1%, making it suitable for demanding industrial processes requiring precise moisture control.

Key Features of HUMY 301

• Continuous inline moisture measurement
• Real-time process monitoring
• Measures the moisture content throughout the bulk material
• Accuracy of up to ±0.1% (material dependent)
• Supports automatic dryer and humidification control
• Suitable for a wide range of bulk solids after calibration
• Rugged industrial design for harsh operating environments
• RS485 Modbus communication for PLC and SCADA integration
• Optional ATEX version for hazardous dust and gas environments

Industrial Applications of the HUMY 301 Moisture Sensor

The HUMY 301 is specifically designed for continuous inline moisture measurement of bulk solids across a wide range of industrial processes. By delivering real-time moisture data, the sensor enables manufacturers to maintain consistent product quality, optimize production efficiency, and reduce operating costs.

Depending on the application, the HUMY 301 can be used for:

• Automatic dryer control
• Humidification process control
• Raw material moisture monitoring
• Finished product quality control
• Continuous process monitoring and optimization

Building Materials Industry

In cement plants and construction material processing, the moisture content of raw materials such as cement, limestone, sand, and aggregates directly affects grinding efficiency, energy consumption, and final product quality. Continuous moisture monitoring with the HUMY 301 allows manufacturers to optimize drying processes and maintain stable production conditions.

Food and Animal Feed Industry

For grain, malt, milk powder, gelatin, flour, and animal feed production, maintaining the correct moisture level is essential for product quality, shelf life, and process consistency. The HUMY 301 provides continuous moisture measurement throughout production, helping manufacturers reduce waste and improve product reliability.

Chemical and Fertilizer Industry

Moisture content plays an important role in granulation, blending, packaging, and storage of chemical products and fertilizers. Real-time monitoring enables better process control while reducing quality variations caused by excessive or insufficient moisture.

Plastics Industry

The moisture content of plastic pellets significantly influences injection molding and extrusion performance. By continuously monitoring raw material moisture before processing, the HUMY 301 helps manufacturers improve product quality while minimizing production defects.

Wood Processing and Biomass Industry

For wood pellets, sawdust, biomass fuels, and other wood-based materials, accurate moisture control improves combustion efficiency, reduces energy losses, and ensures consistent product quality.

In addition to these industries, the HUMY 301 is widely used in paper manufacturing, metallurgy, recycling, coal processing, coke production, and numerous other bulk solid applications.

Flexible Installation for Various Process Configurations

One of the key advantages of the HUMY 301 is its ability to integrate into both new production lines and existing systems with minimal mechanical modification.

Typical installation locations include:

• Conveyor belts
• Screw conveyors
• Chutes
• Process pipelines
• Hoppers and storage bins

Its flexible installation options make the HUMY 301 an ideal solution for both new automation projects and retrofit applications requiring continuous inline moisture monitoring.

Key Features of the HUMY 301

Continuous Real-Time Measurement

The HUMY 301 continuously measures moisture throughout the production process, providing immediate feedback whenever moisture levels change. This enables automatic process adjustments without waiting for laboratory analysis.

High Measurement Accuracy

When properly calibrated for a specific material, the HUMY 301 delivers measurement accuracy of up to ±0.1%, making it suitable for demanding industrial applications requiring precise moisture control.

Measures Moisture Throughout the Material

Unlike many optical moisture sensors that primarily evaluate surface moisture, the HUMY 301 uses a high-frequency electromagnetic field that penetrates approximately 200 mm into the material, allowing it to measure the actual moisture content throughout the bulk material.

Reliable Performance in Harsh Industrial Environments

Measurement results remain stable under challenging operating conditions because the capacitive measuring principle is largely unaffected by:

• Dust
• Steam
• Ambient light
• Material color
• pH variations
• Electrical conductivity of the material

This makes the HUMY 301 particularly suitable for demanding industrial environments where optical measurement technologies may experience limitations.

Multiple Material Calibration

The HUMY 301 supports up to 24 calibration curves, with 16 materials selectable directly via digital inputs. This feature allows manufacturers to switch between different products without performing a new calibration each time, making the system ideal for production lines processing multiple material types.

Windows-Based Configuration and Analysis Software

The system includes dedicated Windows software for:

• Sensor calibration
• Parameter configuration
• Process data visualization
• Long-term data logging
• Multi-channel monitoring
• Offline data analysis and calibration support

Rugged Design for Industrial Applications

The HUMY 301 is engineered for reliable operation in demanding industrial environments.

Its industrial-grade construction includes:

• Stainless steel sensor housing
• IP67 protection rating
• Sealed moisture-resistant sensor design
• High vibration resistance
• Integrated self-diagnostic monitoring
• Factory-tested under extreme temperature conditions before delivery
  To maximize service life under different operating conditions, the sensing surface is available in several material options:
• POM – Standard applications
• Ceramic – Highly abrasive materials
• PTFE (Teflon) – Sticky or chemically aggressive materials
• Ceramic + PTFE – Combined protection for severe abrasion and chemical exposure

Technical Specifications

Specification	Value
Product Name	HUMY 301 Inline Moisture Measurement System
Measurement Principle	Capacitive Moisture Measurement
Measured Parameter	Residual Moisture or Dry Matter (TR)
Measuring Range	0–85% Residual Moisture or 15–100% Dry Matter (TR)
Measurement Accuracy	Up to ±0.1% (depending on the material)
Power Supply	24 VDC (±25%)
Power Consumption	Maximum 1.5 W
Communication Protocol	RS485 Modbus
Analog Output	0/4–20 mA or 0–10 V
Digital Inputs	4 Digital Inputs (8–36 VDC) for material selection
Alarm Outputs	1 Relay Output, 1 Transistor Output
USB Interface	USB 2.0 for programming and configuration
Calibration Storage	Up to 24 calibration curves (16 selectable via digital inputs)
Sensor Housing	Stainless Steel 1.4301 (Optional 1.4307)
Sensor Surface Options	POM (Standard), Ceramic, PTFE (Teflon), Ceramic + PTFE
Protection Rating	IP67
Operating Pressure	6 bar (10 bar temporary)
Ambient Temperature	0 to +70°C (POM/Ceramic) or 0 to +80°C (PTFE/Ceramic + PTFE)
Process Temperature	Standard: 0 to +90°C (Non-ATEX) High Temperature Option: up to +120°C (Non-ATEX) ATEX: up to +70°C (POM/Ceramic) or +90°C (PTFE/Ceramic + PTFE)
Cable	Shielded 4-core cable, 3 m standard (up to 500 m available on request)
Sensor Dimensions	Ø100 × 51.5 mm
Sensor Weight	Approx. 1.3 kg
Transmitter Dimensions	22.5 × 114.5 × 99 mm
Transmitter Weight	Approx. 250 g
Optional Versions	ATEX Zone 20 / Zone 0, High Temperature Version, Ceramic & PTFE Sensor Surface

Easy Integration with Industrial Control Systems

The HUMY 301 is designed for seamless integration into modern industrial automation systems.

Supported interfaces include:

• RS485 Modbus communication
• 0/4–20 mA analog output
• 0–10 V analog output
• Digital inputs for material selection
• Relay alarm output
• Transistor output
• USB interface for configuration and maintenance

With industry-standard communication protocols, the HUMY 301 can be integrated into most PLC, SCADA, and DCS platforms without requiring dedicated protocol converters. This simplifies system integration, reduces engineering effort, and shortens project implementation time.