Weighing processes are critical to the success of many production operations. Incorrectly portioning product can lead to quality issues, safety hazards & other production problems that directly impact the bottom line.
The weighing process typically involves several steps. Depending on application, the type of data recorded can vary as well as how that information is relayed & stored.
Workspace Preparation
Weighing raw materials is a crucial step in the manufacturing process. Accurate measurements are key for quality control, but weighing can be time-consuming and error-prone. ClickUp’s Weighing Raw Materials SOP Template eliminates guesswork and improves productivity by streamlining the weighing process.
Preparing the workspace for weighing is crucial to accurate results. This includes cleaning the area and ensuring all equipment is calibrated. It is also important to have all necessary supplies on hand, such as containers, gloves, and a weighing scale. ClickUp’s Tasks feature makes it easy to create a checklist and ensure all steps are completed.
Once the weighing is complete, any residual material must be transferred into another container. Pouring is usually sufficient, but it is best to use a glassine paper or other purpose-made weighing container to minimize the amount of material that sticks to the transfer tool. If needed, distilled water can be used to dislodge stubborn residue. The resulting solution can then be poured into the next container for weighing.
Equipment Setup
The equipment setup phase involves ensuring that all the necessary components of the weighing system are in place. This includes the load cells, weight controller, auxiliary instruments and local display.
Moisture and stray electrical noise can interfere with the low-voltage weight signal sent from the load cells to the weight controller. Moisture can wick itself into the junction box and reduce capacitance between the signal lines, while radio frequency interference (RFI) and electromagnetic interference (EMI) are electrical noise that can occur from lightning strikes, portable two-way radios, large power lines, static electricity and electromechanical relays.
Keeping the weighing chamber clean can also help prevent erroneous readings. Make sure the weighing chamber doors are always closed and don’t touch the weights with your hands to avoid cross contamination. Record the weight measurements directly into your lab notebook to eliminate transcription errors. Also, use face masks and disposable gloves to avoid breath fall or hand grease from affecting the readings.
Weighing
During the weighing phase, you need to take the time to ensure that the balance is stable. This means it needs to be positioned in a draft-free area and away from heating/cooling vents, which can cause temperature variations that can affect the reading. It’s also important to avoid touching the standard weights with your hands because grease and oils can affect their mass.
For calibration purposes, you should periodically perform reproducibility tests and linearity testing on your balance. These are simple tests to verify that the balance delivers accurate readings in different positions. A balance that consistently delivers large deviations should be sent back to the manufacturer for a factory recalibration.
In quality control applications, fast & accurate checkweighing can make or break your operations. Weighing systems like ours can be integrated into your production line to help you reduce human error & maintain safety guidelines. Data tracking capabilities can also be built into your system, allowing you to record all the details of your production, such as how many products were over or under the target weight and when the errors occurred.
Recording
Process weighing is used in a wide variety of manufacturing environments. It may involve continuously monitoring levels or inventory, discharging materials by weight or rate, blending or batching ingredients, or measuring and controlling mass flow.
For example, when weighing liquids that are volatile, it is a good idea to use a container for the sample that will prevent it from evaporating during the weighing process. It is also advisable to tare the balance before adding the liquid. Then subtract the weight of the container and record the remaining weight to obtain your measurement result.
For solids, it is a good idea to weigh the sample in a receiver that is not too large for the scale and to record weights at identical intervals to reduce the influence of moisture absorption. It is also a good idea to use an antistatic device for powdered samples. In residential Aged Care, accurate weighing of residents is critical to ensure that any medical treatment has been effective.