Tips for choosing
weight control equipment  

by marketing on 20 de January de 2023

What is weight management?

Nowadays, the manufacturing processes of food and consumer products must pass numerous controls and inspections. In response to this and the current regulations in force, it is necessary to incorporate checkweighing equipment into the production lines of packaged products.

These checkweighers, also called checkweighers or automatic weighing instruments, are responsible for weighing 100% of the products on a production line automatically, to ensure that the amount of product indicated on the packaging actually corresponds to the amount of product inside. In this way, fraud is prevented and the interests of the consumer and the image of the brands are protected.


But what needs to be considered when choosing the right machinery?

Before making the choice of equipment, several general questions must be asked: can the equipment be easily adapted to the line? how many products will we be working with? are the formats very different from each other? can production be fully controlled?

In addition to all these questions, several points intrinsic to the equipment and production must be analysed:
SUPPLIER
Search for experienced
with experience. 
PRODUCT TYPE
Consider the type of
of product we
we wish to control.
METROLOGY
Consider whether the
equipment is to be subjected
metrological control.
ACCURACY
Consider the precision that
we need from the equipment.
equipment.
PRODUCTION
Take into account the
product throughput speed.
product.
ACCESSORIES AND
FUNCTIONALITIES
Customise the equipment
with accessories according to the
required functionalities. 
ONLINE SPACE
Take into account the
space available on the
line. 
STANDARDS
Choose equipment that
comply with the
necessary standards. 

1. Look for experienced suppliers

When you want to incorporate a checkweigher into a production plant, it is important to have the support of a well-established manufacturer who can offer high performance, stable and reliable operation.

Points to be taken into account include experience in similar projects, value for money and technical assistance service.

In addition, we must consider that these systems, regardless of the manufacturer, require certain maintenance, generally preventive, for optimal long-term operation. Approved revisions are also necessary in the case of metrological equipment.

For all these reasons, it is advisable to consult the maintenance plans together with the purchase of the equipment.

3. Metrology

For the packager, one of the most important rules is RD 1801/2008, with regulations concerning nominal quantities for packaged products and the control of their actual content.
For a checkweigher to be considered metrological, it must fulfil two phases: the type examination phase, which takes place during manufacture, and the metrological conformity phase, which takes place during commissioning and certifies compliance with the essential requirements for putting the checkweigher into service. 

2. Type of product  

The type of product we want to check must be taken into account, especially in terms of size and weight. It is not the same to check 20 kg boxes, which are large and stable, as it is to weigh a light product such as a packet of biscuits, whose characteristics will require much more precise and complete equipment.

We must also take into account other characteristics of the product, such as the format to be checked: bags, jars, bulk products or frozen products require specific elements that it is important to define at the time of purchase.


Varpe has equipment designed and subjected to the relevant tests to comply with the type examination.

It is also authorised by the Spanish Metrology Centre (CEM) to carry out the metrological conformity declaration module.
Therefore, if the product to be weighed is packaged, it will be important to incorporate an instrument subject to state metrological control.

4. Accuracy

Accuracy, like the equipment as a whole, must be tailored to the specific needs of the customer. Just as we do not need a microscope to read a label, sometimes it is not necessary to have very high accuracy for products that do not need it, as this may incur unnecessary costs.
very high accuracy for products that do not need it, as this can incur unnecessary costs.

Generally, very accurate machines are used for very light products and/or in high production lines, so their structure is more focused on accuracy and not so much on robustness that a machine such as a heavy box machine might have.

Furthermore, in the event that the equipment is subject to state metrological control, the accuracy that the equipment must comply with will be defined by the weight of the product, corresponding to the standards set by law.

In short, it is important to study each case in order to develop equipment with the necessary precision and sophistication, bearing in mind that Varpe specialises in creating global high-tech solutions.

5. Producción

When ordering a checkweigher, we must also take into account the line output or containers per minute that are produced. As dynamic checkweighers, the speed at which the product is transported will be a crucial factor in the quality of the weighing of the product at which the product is transported will be a crucial factor in the quality of the weighing of the product. Varpe has several ranges of equipment that are adapted to the needs of each line to develop the best option in each case, including solutions for multiple lanes.

In order to optimise weight control, it is important that the products are delivered in a sequenced and properly separated manner. Varpe has designs that guarantee this correct product delivery.

6. Accessories and functionalities

In addition to the checkweigher, which will consist of a frame and its corresponding conveyors, it will be necessary to define the electro-mechanical accessories that are to be included in the machine, such as
protections, magnetic closures, rejectors, collection drawers, etc.

It is also necessary to define the additional functionalities that the equipment will require, such as Modbus OPC-UA communications, feedback systems, alarms, additional outputs or inputs and even customised software developments.

7. Sapce on the line

The space available on the production line must be taken into account in order to establish the maximum sizes that the checkweigher can have and adapt it if necessary.

If there are conveyor belts upstream or downstream of the equipment, these must be taken into consideration to ensure a good transfer between machines and that the operation of the line is adequate.

8. Regulations

It is important to choose equipment with functionalities adapted to the legal regulations in force. All Varpe checkweighers are adapted to the requirements of the EEC for the effective content control of batches, in addition to complying with the legal metrology required by RD 1801/2008.

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