Weighing is a critical step in food production that ensures quality and consistency. This process requires a comprehensive system of controls and weighing equipment that works together to measure and dispense ingredients automatically.

Traditional mechanical scales (also known as balances or beam scales) use an unknown mass suspended from one plate, with standard masses added to the other until the plates achieve mechanical equilibrium. Modern automated weighing systems are more advanced.

Accuracy

The accuracy of a scale or balance depends on many factors, including temperature, tare weights, calibration, and more. Accuracy is often confused with resolution and repeatability, but they are different specifications that have distinct roles in weighing systems.

Achieving high accuracy is a top priority for a variety of industries. Pharmaceutical and chemical applications require accuracy to the microgram, and jewelers and gemologists work with delicate materials that need the utmost precision.

Choosing the best weighing method for your application is crucial to ensure the quality of your results. Weighing by Difference and Direct Weighing each offer advantages for specific scenarios. Weighing by Difference excels in contamination control and provides highly precise measurements, while Direct Weighing offers simplicity, speed, and cost-effectiveness for situations where consistency is more important than accuracy.

Efficiency

Weighing equipment that is properly calibrated and optimised through preventative maintenance, data integration and operator training can provide a high level of accuracy. This will not only improve production efficiency, but it will also help to ensure product quality and compliance.

Some materials’ weights can fluctuate depending on weather conditions, so it’s important to always use a calibrated scale and take into account factors such as moisture content. It’s also important to ensure that all parts of the system are mounted securely and protected against vibrations.

Weighing systems that are integrated with machines like loaders, excavators or transport vehicles offer automated payload management. This helps teams identify trends in under- or over-loading and regulate these habits to achieve optimal loads each time. These systems can also track and record each load for future analysis. This enables teams to save time by not having to weigh each machine individually. This also allows them to avoid long delays on roads due to vehicles that have exceeded their road-legal load limits.

Integration

The integration of weighing processes in manufacturing is becoming more important for businesses as a way to maintain quality, reduce waste and keep track of inventory. Getting this right can help companies be prepared for audits, save money and improve overall efficiency.

Weighing systems can be integrated with a variety of control systems to automate different processes. For example, a batching control system can combine controls and weighing systems to automatically measure, dispense and mix ingredients into a specific quantity of product. This ensures that every ingredient is added in the correct order, reducing errors and waste.

A key component of this type of process is the load cell, which converts weight (a mechanical force) into an electrical signal. An indicator displays this signal and provides the user with an easy-to-read readout. It’s also capable of performing secondary functions that feed into the weighing process, such as opening and closing gates or valves, turning pumps, moving a conveyor or logging data.

Maintenance

As with any equipment, weighing scales wear down over time and need regular maintenance. This can include anything from routine calibration to scale repair or replacement if significant damage or deterioration occurs. This ensures the system is capable and compliant, allowing production to continue without interruption.

It is essential that the environment around the analytical balance is kept clean and free from dust, dirt, and other obstructions. The weighing area must also be free from air currents and temperature fluctuations that can interfere with the measurement. It is recommended that the power of the instrument be turned off before cleaning to avoid any electrical hazards and the use of a soft brush or lint-free cloth should be employed when removing residue from the weighing pan. Similarly, the draft shield should only be opened for placing samples into or taking them out of the balance.

Digital scale electronics like HBM’s DIS 2116 allow predictive maintenance by means of automatic status messages to the control system. These shorten maintenance intervals and reduce downtimes which in turn positively impact the efficiency of the overall weighing process.