Weighing is a vital part of the food manufacturing process. It helps to achieve consistency, which in turn reduces waste and increases productivity.
A scale is an instrument that determines mass by comparing its two plates or bowls until they reach static equilibrium. Depending on the type of scale, the spring either stretches (as in a hanging scale in a supermarket) or compresses.
Preparation
Process weighing systems can be used in a wide variety of manufacturing applications to ensure product consistency and maintain safety guidelines. Before you can perform any weighing, however, you must prepare the equipment and environment. This includes assembling containers to receive the sample, forceps, pipets or spatulas of proper size and cleanliness. You also want to ensure that you have the right chemicals if solutions or reagents are required.
You also need to check the temperature of both the sample and the balance. Temperature differences may cause a change in the weight and lead to faulty analytical results. The balance should also be properly calibrated and in a stable condition.
For solids, the tried and true method involves weighing on special glazed paper (not shown) that does not react with the chemicals. Then a creased square of the paper is placed on the balance pan, and the solid is transferred down the crease into the container. This method of transferring a solid to another precisely weighed vessel is known as “weighing by difference.” All the data should be recorded in your laboratory notebook.
Weighing
Weighing is the process of ascertaining the weight of an object or substance. This can be done using a variety of techniques and devices, but in all cases the goal is to provide an accurate measurement of an object’s mass.
This is a very important part of the process, and it can have major implications for the quality of the product that will be produced. For example, a company that produces cookies needs to have extremely accurate weighing technology in order to fulfill the cookie recipe specifications and quality requirements.
Analytical balances must be kept in a draft free location and on a stable bench to avoid vibrations that can cause inaccurate readings. They must also be stored in a place that is controlled for humidity and temperature. When storing the calibration weights, do not touch them with your hands as this can cause hand grease to transfer to the weighing pan and affect the results.
Calibration
A calibration is a process that compares an instrument to another of known value. It is an important part of weighing because it establishes a relationship between the instrument’s measurement technique and certain known values. This allows the instrument to produce more accurate results when tested with other unknown values.
The calibration phase is performed with a calibration standard, which may be a weight or other measurement device. The calibration process must be documented, and any adjustments made to the instrument should be recorded.
The calibration standards must be traceable to the meter and kilogram base SI units, and should be verified as such by an accredited laboratory like Gometrics. The process also includes removing external influences from the measuring environment, such as air currents that can affect the accuracy of a balance’s sensitivity weight and other factors such as hygroscopic or hydrophobic solid materials that gain or lose weight over time. This makes the calibration process crucial to scientific research, industrial manufacturing, and international trade.
Recording
All balances need to be properly recorded. Ensure that the weighing process is complete by recording the weight directly in the laboratory notebook. This eliminates transcription errors and reduces the chance of accidental alterations to the measurement reading. All objects and materials that have recently been removed from a desiccator will absorb moisture and gain weight, which is why it’s important to record the reading immediately after each weighing.
Clinicians often recommend blind weighing to patients because it is believed to mitigate patient distress and anxiety about seeing their weight, avoid reinforcing obsession with the specific number on the scale, and minimize exposure to weight uncertainty. Studies suggest that these benefits may also improve client engagement and treatment responsivity. However, further empirical research is needed to assess the impact of these weighing adaptations. Ideally, these techniques should be combined with other strategies to support patients’ autonomy needs in the context of current treatment practices.