SONO GS1 Radar Moisture Meter

The SONO GS1 is a compact rectangular inline sensor from IMKO designed for highly accurate moisture measurement in wood and low-density bulk solids. It is intended for flush installation into container walls, screw conveyors, pipelines or similar structures. The sensor surface made of stainless steel V4A and PEEK provides excellent resistance to contamination. The device supports continuous online monitoring with analogue outputs and is ideal for industrial processes involving low-density materials.

Operating Principle

The SONO GS1 combines patented TRIME® TDR (Time Domain Reflectometry) radar technology with ultrasonic measurement (SONO principle). A short electromagnetic pulse is transmitted into the material along the probe rods. Water strongly influences the dielectric constant (εr), which changes the signal propagation time and reflection. An integrated ultrasonic transducer simultaneously measures bulk density for automatic compensation. This delivers precise moisture values without recalibration, independent of salinity or temperature.

Specifications

• Sensor surface: Stainless steel V4A and PEEK

• Temperature: 0…+70 °C (standard); 0…+100 °C (high-temperature version)

• Analogue outputs: 2 × 0/4…20 mA (moisture + temperature or conductivity)

• Power supply: +12…+24 V DC, ~3 W

• Protection class: IP65

• Interfaces: RS485 or IMP bus

• Dimensions & weight: 280 × 60 × 43 mm; 1.3 kg

• Variants: SONO ES GS1 (standard), SONO-Ex GS1 (ATEX version)

• Mounting: Flush into screw conveyors, pipelines, under conveyor belts, sliding plates

Main Application Areas

Continuous moisture monitoring in screw and belt conveyors, under dosing belts (contact or non-contact), and on sliding plates. Widely used in woodworking (wood chips, sawdust), biomass production, food and energy industries for optimising drying and transport processes.

Advantages of the SONO GS1 Radar Moisture Meter

• Outstanding long-term stability (±0.5–1 %) without recalibration thanks to automatic density compensation

• Completely immune to buildup, salts and temperature fluctuations

• Easy integration into conveyors and automation systems

• ATEX-certified version available

• Compact design, low power consumption, service life > 10 years

About IMKO Micromodultechnik GmbH

IMKO Micromodultechnik GmbH was founded in 1984 in Ettlingen (near Karlsruhe), Germany, and is one of the world’s leading developers and manufacturers of moisture measurement systems based on its proprietary TRIME®-TDR technology.

IMKO develops and produces a complete portfolio of moisture sensors:

• Portable and laboratory instruments of the PICO series

• Mobile TDR probes TRIME-GW and TRIME-GWs

• Industrial inline sensors of the SONO family (combining TDR radar + ultrasonic density measurement)

• Specialised versions for soil, concrete, grain, biomass and construction materials

The company continuously refines algorithms for density and conductivity compensation. IMKO products are distributed in153 countries through 86 partners, and the IMKO CONNECT app enables remote control of all current sensors. The core focus is maximum precision and reliability in the most demanding operating conditions.