- Pneumatic Conveying, Automated Packaging, & Bagging Systems
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- Rotary Airlock Feeders
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Weighing Systems
What is a weighing system?
Weighing systems are used to measure ingredients accurately by weight. These systems are used to ensure the right amount of material is dispersed in the location where it needs to be. Weigh systems are known to improve efficiency, boost output and uniformity, and eliminate waste and humor error. You can find weighing systems in most industries including rubbers and plastics, food and beverage, and chemical industries.
What are common types of weighing equipment?
In the bulk solids and powders industry, weighing equipment can be broken down into more specific categories based on the needs of your business. Some of the most common types include:
- Checkweighers
- Batch Weighers
- Weigh Feeders
- Weigh Fillers
What is a checkweighing system?
A checkweighing system, also referred to simply as a checkweigher, checks the weight of a product while in motion and rejects any product that is over or under the weight guideline as set by the operator. Checkweighing systems are a highly effective way to meet demand and reduce giveaway in production lines where quality and safety are of the utmost importance. Checkweighers are known for their accuracy and precision and thus can be found in highly regulated industries like pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and chemicals.
What are some common uses for checkweighing?
Common uses for checkweighers include:
Ensure quality by checking for under and/or overweight products
Ensure compliance with laws and regulations including FDA and USDA reporting guidelines
Classification of products in weight grades
Measure and report efficiency
What is a batch weighing system?
A batch weighing system is designed to weigh and batch multiple/diverse ingredients. Batch weighing systems have many names in the bulk solids and powders industry that tend to be used interchangeably. These names include: ingredient batching systems, weigh batching systems, automatic batch weighing, etc. There are two main types of batch weighing systems: gain-in-weight systems and loss-in-weight systems.
- What is a gain-in-weight system? A gain-in-weight (GIW) system measures the weight of the product as it arrives at the receiving hopper. These systems deliver about 90% of the product at a high speed, slowing down to dispense the remaining 10% of product accurately. Gain-in-weight systems are best for production plants that need to dispense ingredients sequentially. Gain-in-weight batching systems using volumetric feeders can typically achieve accuracies of +/- 0.5% of the full scale capacity.
- What is a loss-in-weight system? A loss-in-weight (LIW) system measures the weight of the product as it is dispenses from the receiving hopper. Unlike GIW systems that dispense sequentially, LIW systems can simultaneously weigh and dispense many different ingredients in one batch. Because all of the ingredients are being dispensed at one time, loss-in-weight systems can greatly reduce production time. This method has been known to be used for expensive micro-ingredients.
Weigh Feeders vs. Weigh Fillers:
What is a weigh feeder?
Weigh feeders control the flow of a product by measuring and feeding products on a continuous basis. Feeders are commonly used to control bulk material flow rate into a process or to blend products on a continuous basis. There are two main types of feeders, differentiated by the way they measure and dispense the material: volumetric feeders and gravimetric feeders.
- What is a volumetric feeder? A volumetric feeder controls and measures the specific volume and speed of a material entering a system. As indicated by its name, the discharge rate of your material is calculated by volume. Volumetric feeders tend to feature components such as vibration, stirring, massaging, etc.
- What is a gravimetric feeder? A gravimetric feeder controls and measures the weight and speed of a material entering a system. In this system, the discharge rate of your material is calculated by velocity. Gravimetric feeders can be gain-in-weight (GIW) or loss-in-weight (LIW) systems.
What is a weigh filler?
Weigh fillers are designed to weigh and fill pouches, bags, containers, cartons, etc. Weigh filling machines can be used to package candy, nuts, snack foods, pharmaceuticals, and much more. Weigh fillers quickly feed the product into the bin until the amount delivered gets close to the weight desired. It then slows down to a trickle feed to deliver the accurate final weight selected. Weigh fillers are often used to increase speed and efficiency in a production plant.
The advantages of weighing systems
In most industries, success depends on adhering to strict production requirements. Weighing systems ensure extreme accuracy in distribution, compliance with rules and regulations, and batch-to-batch quality control. Advantages of weighing systems include:
Uniformity of product
Increase Productivity
Retain Product Quality
Cost Saving
Weighing & Solid Design
With over 155+ years of experience, our team has designed many weighing systems for our clients. We maintain exclusive representation partnerships with the best weigh machine manufacturers including:
- Vertical Auger Fillers
- High Speed Rotary Filling Systems
- Liquid Piston Fillers
- Pump Fillers
- Bag, Box & Container Checkweighers
- Low Weight Precision Checkweighers
- Multi-lane High Speed Checkweighers
- Mass Flow Meters
- Batching
- Filling
- Inventory Controls
- Rate Monitoring
- Checkweighing
- Pneumatic Conveying, Automated Packaging, & Bagging Systems
- Rotary Airlock Feeders
- Blower Packages
- Open Mouth Bagging Equipment
- IBC Loading and Unloading
- Palletizing and Container Handling
- Drum, Box & Container Dischargers
- Bulk Bag Unloading
- Bulk Bag Filling Systems
- Bag Dump Stations