Electronic devices use desiccants to help seal in dryness. Desiccants can take on many forms, from tablets to paste to inert gas. They come in many sizes, and their cost directly reflects their application. Since the job of a desiccant is to adsorb moisture, it can over time reach a point of saturation. Once this saturation level is reached the desiccant should be replaced.
Since many food processes operate in high humidity environments, it is not uncommon to find electronic devices enclosed in their own environmentally controlled containers. Usually, each of these containers maintains some type of desiccant barrier for the protection of the electronic device. While these containers can extend the time required to reach the point of saturation, they usually do not eliminate reaching this condition.
Today, control rooms have been employed to provide another level of temperature and humidity control for the wide variety of control equipment being used. These rooms have their own continuously operating support equipment to maintain the proper level of temperature and humidity control. They provide an important level of centrally controlled environmental protection for today’s increasingly automated food processing equipment. They may not be as prevalent in the food industry as in some others, but they probably provide the best protection for sensitive electronic devices.
