Selecting an automated system for weighing minor ingredients
Weighing several minor ingredients for a batching operation can be time-consuming and difficult to control when done by hand. An automated system for weighing minor ingredients can reduce the number of operator hours the weighing requires, as well as eliminate guesswork about the amount of each ingredient added to each formulation. This article describes how an automated weighing system for minor ingredients works and how to select a system for your batching operation.
In batching operations, minor ingredients -- such as vitamins, minerals, condiments, spices, additives, and drugs -- are usually received in bags, drums, or other containers and are added to batches at infrequent intervals and in small amounts [usually from 1 to 150 pounds]. The minor ingredients are sometimes hand-weighed into the batching operation, though this can be a slow, difficult-to-control process that requires an operator's constant presence. A faster, better controlled method of weighing minor ingredients is to use an automated weighing system. In fact, many industries -- from small bakeries to large plastics producers -- have switched from hand-weighing to using automated weighing systems.