Product-specific 'moisture levels': a conceptual framework

An improved schedule to evaluate SMT popcorn jeopardy based on physics of moisture absorption is proposed. Key features are: each lettered Level implies a certain performance irrespective of package thickness (i.e., no penalty for thinner packages); each successive level has stepped moisture concentration at the interior (i.e. clear stepped discrimination between levels); the time required for preconditioning is substantially reduced from current practice and an acceleration factor can be clearly computed.