Development of weighting system in laboratory type experimental dryer

Drying is the process of increasing the strength of the products by decreasing the amount of moisture in the product. The reduction of the moisture content continues until the product reaches the ideal humidity. Weight measurement data are used to monitor the changes in the amount of moisture in the drying process. In order to observe the amount of weight change, the operator in many systems periodically measures and replaces the sample containers in order to follow the weight in order to monitor the drying characteristics. Difficulties occur in measurements, especially the difficulty of waiting at the beginning of the process in the drying process, which lasts up to 72 hours depending on the product type and quantity. In this study, in order to overcome these difficulties, an automatic weighing system has been developed to monitor the instantaneous moisture change amounts of the products dried in a hot air laboratory type experimental dryer. In the test system with 3 sample containers, the weights of the products were converted into electrical signals by using three load cells for the dryer, and the mass of the products was measured instantaneously at certain periods. Instead of S-type load cells, which are widely used in tensile and compression forces, platform type load cells with a more affordable cost are used. With the help of the prepared apparatus, platform type load cells have been transformed into more precise and cost-effective S-type load cells. Arduino Mega, 24 bit HX711 ADC and Nextion Display were used in the study. During the drying process, the operation of the system has been tested by making instant data transfer at desired periods.