These instruments are frequently found in plants involved in commercial food production where the moisture content of a product may be required to meet definite specifications. There are many other applications where moisture analyzers are used for production control and quality assurance, such as in the production of plastics and pharmaceuticals.

The basic elements of these moisture analyzers are a sensitive electronic digital balance, most commonly having a 50.g capacity and a resolution of 0.001g, with a linearity of +/- 0.002g. These balances are almost always use a precision force restoration type of load cell in order achieve the high accuracy required. Mounted on top of the scale in such a way that it does not effect the weight measurements is an oven. The oven produces the increased temperature needed to drive off the moisture at an accelerated pace. The most popular heating elements for these ovens are Halogen Lamps which produce a great deal of radiant energy for rapid heating. There lamps get extremely hot and caution must be exercised when handling if the oven has been used recently. The oven is usually hinged to the top of the balance so that it may be easily opened and closed for access to the sample.

The brain of the machine, a microprocessor, controls the entire operation. Depending upon the quality of the display the user may receive step by step operating instructions from the machine. The sample can be rapidly heated and the results of the process can be displayed as the process proceeds. On some machines a plot of loss versus time may be displayed and the final result may be anticipated based upon the shape of the drying curve.

These machines are very useful and effective, and reduce what would be a laborious process taking hours to a simple task taking minutes. Many Moisture Analyzers are in the market place and they offer a wide range of features and prices. The basic elements tend to be the same but what is done with them varies widely.