Weighing is an important process that must be carried out accurately. In order to do this, the weighing equipment must be calibrated regularly by a trained maintenance person. It is also essential to use clean tools when handling the weighing instruments.
When weighing solids, use the tried and true method of weighing by difference shown in this picture. The tared balance pan should be filled, then the receiver (either a weighing funnel or a piece of weighed paper) added to the tared balance.
Accuracy
Industrial weighing is an essential part of production, from the weighing of raw ingredients to shipping finished goods. Weighing processes must be accurate to ensure quality compliance and avoid costly errors. The accuracy of a weighing process depends on several factors, including calibration and operation.
To improve weighing accuracy, calibrate your scales frequently with the correct weight standards. The weight standard used for calibration should be within 10% of the scale divisions. In addition, all electronic balances should be “exercised” by placing a load equal to the weighing pan’s capacity and taking readings. This helps the balance to achieve better repeatability.
Moisture can also affect weighing accuracy by entering the junction box of each load cell and decreasing the capacitance between signal lines. You can minimize this problem by ensuring that the junction boxes are waterproof and that unused holes are plugged. This will prevent moisture from affecting the signals sent to the weight controller.
Efficiency
Accurate and efficient industrial weighing solutions can help you operate lean and reduce waste. They can also increase the speed of production, improve product quality and ensure that you meet rigorous manufacturing standards. However, it’s important to choose a weighing system that fits your environment and applications. Otherwise, it could cause contamination, which can lead to costly reworks and product recalls.
A weighing solution should also be easy to clean and maintain, allowing you to keep it hygienic and safe for use. It should also be able to handle harsh environmental conditions. The system you choose should also be able to detect and correct inaccurate results. This can save you time and money in the long run.
Safety
When handling chemicals and other hazardous materials, weighing is one of the most important steps in a process. However, it is also the most dangerous if done improperly. Chemical weighing is safe and easy to do when following some simple safety precautions.
When weighing samples, make sure to close the balance doors and use clean forceps. Never touch the weights with bare hands as hand grease can leave marks and cause erroneous readings. Also, avoid shaking the balance. Lastly, record the weight measurement directly into your lab notebook to avoid transcription errors.
In addition to observing good weighing practices, it’s also important to consider the environment in which you’re working. For example, chemical and manufacturing facilities that deal with potentially flammable liquids or gases should only use scales and balances designed for class I, division 1 environments. These equipment items are designed with intrinsically safe low-energy components in hazardous areas and limit power and current through intrinsic barriers to prevent them from crossing over into the unsafe area.
Cost
Performing accurate, consistent checkweighing across all production lines is key to food processing success. Whether verifying load weights of incoming ingredients or checking finished goods before they leave the plant for distribution, weighing accuracy is critical to avoiding underweight packages and costly giveaway or overweight shipments.
Weighing errors are inevitable, but there is a way to reduce them. Using the weighing-by-difference method, which is designed for use with analytical balances, can eliminate many of these errors while providing high-performance and accurate results.
The weighing system typically includes one or more load cells that support (or suspend) the weigh vessel, a junction box that sums the signals from the load cells and sends them to the weighing controller, and a display that converts the summed signal into a weight reading. It is also important to select a suitable weighing container that will prevent leakage and condensation during the weighing process. It should also be sturdy enough to withstand large temperature changes.