IMPLEMENTATION OF ON-LINE NEAR INFRARED (NIR) TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE ANALYSIS OF CANE, BAGASSE AND RAW SUGAR IN SUGAR FACTORIES TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE

BSES LIMITED has a long history of developing and commercialising NIR technology for sugar industry applications spanning plant breeding, laboratory and online sugar factory use. This paper traces the development of online NIR systems with FOSS Pacific, for the real-time analysis of cane, bagasse and sugar, describing a range of applications currently applied within sugar factories. The Cane Analysis System (CAS) was developed primarily to measure real-time fibre content of a cane consignment for payment purposes. This enables payment on the overall quality of a consignment rather than making assumptions from average figures. CAS uses a FOSS Direct Light 5000 instrument, with ancillary systems developed for sample presentation, data analysis and integration with mill control systems. Further CAS applications for ash, dry matter, pol and brix in both cane and juice, as well as commercial cane sugar (CCS), were subsequently developed. Data from these calibrations have successfully been used to audit mill laboratories, derive cane quality indices, implement automated control strategies, develop alternative payment systems and provide data on individual farms/blocks, enabling targeted solutions for areas with productivity issues. Based on this platform, online bagasse (BAS) and sugar analysis systems (SAS) were developed. BAS measurements can provide quality-based assessments of bagasse suitable for feedforward to boiler stations. When linked with a CAS on the same milling train, the effects of mill settings, maceration control and cane quality on pol extraction are determined in real-time, enabling the development of strategies to maximise extraction. SAS calibrations are used to monitor and control critical processes in the production of LoGIcane TM , the world’s first low glycemic index sugar which was commercialised and released in Australian in 2009. The development of online NIR measurement systems for sugar factories has seen quality, payment and control strategies established, which are not possible using normal laboratory data. Almost 30 systems have been installed worldwide, and further uses for online NIR data continue to be developed by existing users in conjunction with BSES and FOSS.