Top 3 Moisture Meters Commonly Used by Wood Distributors
For lumber dealers, it is important to be able to ensure that the logs or processed wood products they sell meet consistent quality standards. Because the amount of moisture affects the overall quality of the wood, lumber dealers need a reliable way to check and control the moisture content of the wood.
For example, if there is too much moisture, it can cause the wood to rot or split. Or, if the wood is too dry, once it reaches its destination and expands, it may begin to absorb excess moisture from the air. This is why the importance of wood moisture meters to the quality control process of lumber dealers cannot be overstated.
Considering their importance in ensuring the quality of wood, lumber dealers want to have good hygrometers for their wood moisture testing needs. But what makes a good wood moisture meter? What should a moisture meter dispenser offer its lumber industry customers?
Moisture Meter #1: RDM-3
The RDM-3 is a highly capable wood moisture meter for wood distributors with several features that make getting accurate moisture content (%MC) measurements easy. One of the important features of the device is its built-in wood species and temperature correction functions. These features allow the RDM-3 to adjust readings based on the type of wood currently being tested and the current temperature of the wood (as extreme temperatures can have a slight effect on moisture content measurements).
The RDM-3 is a good moisture meter choice for lumber dealers who work with many different types of lumber or who need to actively monitor the moisture content of lumber in their kilns. In addition, like any pin meter, the RDM-3 excels at helping lumber manufacturers determine moisture distribution across a circuit board - especially when used with insulated pins.
The Delmhorst Universal Probe Socket located on the top of the meter (which is in all current Delmhorst Pin Moisture Meter Divisions) allows the RDM-3 to be connected to the Delmhorst KIL-MO-TROL ® in Kiln Monitoring System.
Moisture Meter #2: ProScan
The progressive scanning pinless moisture meter is one of Delmhorst's very good moisture meters for hardwood flooring applications. Lumber dealers specialising in hardwood flooring for shipment to flooring shops often use pinless moisture meters because they:
1) Excel at checking large quantities of wood in a short period of time; and
2) are a non-destructive testing method (no pinholes in the wood).
Specific advantages of ProScan as a wood dispenser hygrometer are its built-in species correction feature and calibration check. The species correction feature allows the user to programme the moisture meter to automatically adjust its moisture content measurements based on the specific gravity of the wood being tested. The built-in calibration check feature verifies the accuracy of the meter as simply as pressing a button.
Note that as a pinless meter, this unit is best suited for testing wood that has been processed into an end product with a flat, smooth surface, such as hardwood flooring. A pin-type moisture meter for lumber is better for testing raw or rough-cut lumber.
Moisture Meter #3: TotalCheck
The TotalCheck 3-in-1 Moisture Meter combines the benefits of the two moisture meters mentioned above with a thermo-hygrometer at the lumber storage site to check ambient moisture conditions.
The hygrometer's scan mode can quickly locate pockets of moisture in wood being processed. Meanwhile, the pin mode can be used to determine the moisture distribution between the core and shell of a piece of lumber.
The thermohygrometer function is useful because it allows lumber dealers to verify the conditions they are using to adapt the lumber being prepared for distribution to the lumber at the lumber destination. This is useful for maximising the quality of timber for customers at the receiving end of the supply chain, as it minimises fluctuations in the moisture content of the timber on arrival.
The absolute number of features of this 3-in-1 unit makes it one of the good moisture meters for timber dealers. However, some timber dealers prefer to have their moisture meter and thermal hygrometer as separate devices.
