Pattern Approval for Measuring Protein in Wheat and Barley

In December 2005, NIR Technology Australia obtained a certificate of Pattern Approval for the Cropscan 2000 NIR Analyser. Pattern Approval is a national standard for testing equipment and is designed to certify a specific instrument for measuring under a defined set of environmental conditions.

The Cropscan 2000B NIR Analyser measures protein and moisture in whole grains, including wheat, barley, soybean, corn and sorghum. The NMI Pattern Approval certifies that the Cropscan 2000B is suitable for use as an instrument to measure protein in wheat and barley for trading purposes.

The Pattern Approval process requires that the instrument be able to make a measurement of protein in wheat with a Maximum Permissible Error (MPE) of 0.4% and in barley with a MPE of 0.5%. The conditions under which these measurements are tested include:
- Instrument temperature between 10C and 40C,
- Humidity 85%RH exposure for 2 days
- Mains Voltage: -15% to +10% variation in mains voltage
- Electrical Burst
- Electromagnetic Fields
- Electrostatic Discharge

The NMI M15-1 Pattern Approval is the first part of a certification process. The instrument needs to be tested for accuracy under the NMI V10 Uniform Test Procedure for the Verification, Certification and In-Service Inspection of Protein Measuring Instrument for Grain. This is to be done by a licensed inspector or certifier using a set of Trade Measurement Certified Reference Materials.

NIR Technology Australia provides the Cropscan 2000B NIR Analyser with calibrations for measuring protein and moisture in wheat and barley. The NMI M15-1 Pattern Approval is provided for all Cropscan 2000B instruments. These calibrations are tested against Trade Measuring Certified Reference Materials to comply with the NMI V10 procedure prior to shipment.