In process engineering there are often states in which the local distribution of fluids and solids and their temporal and spatial concentration represent dominant process-relevant parameters. This article is dedicated to the monitoring of such processes as drying, moistening and crystal structure formation which require the use of both space-resolved and molecule-specific measurement methods. Near-infrared image analysis with an indium-gallium-arsenide sensor is such a non-contact measuring procedure. The possible applications and the potential of this inline measurement method are presented and explained.