Tensiography instrumentation for measuring liquid material properties

An on-line process control of liquids represents a very cost effective and economical way of quality testing fluids. The Tensiography equipment incorporated for this quality technique operates on the principle that all liquids have unique properties and characteristics. Using fibre optic technology and electronic control systems, a fingerprint or trace of a liquid can be taken and recorded on file for future reference. With time other batches of the same liquid can be compared to the original and any major discrepancies can be used to signal quality problems. The technique can be applied to lubricants, alcohols, perfumes, and water.This paper discusses the design of such a system, the methods of testing, errors in the signals produced, correction methods, and some industrial applications for quality checking and control.