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How Multihead Weighers and Transfer Systems Work
Thomas Bornemann, Director Sales & Marketing at Hastamat, explains that a multihead, or combination, weigher uses bins each controlled by a load cell and combines several bins to reach the requested filling weight. The transfer system carries weighed product into the packaging machine. Dennis Feldbusch, Area Sales Manager, says every transfer system for stick-shaped products is customized, and Thomas Bornemann rates it as important as the weigher and bagger.
Key takeaways
- Thomas Bornemann explains that a combination weigher's bins are each controlled by a load cell, and the weigher finds the combination of bins that makes the requested filling weight.
- According to Thomas Bornemann, a 14-head combination can have up to 54,000 possible combinations per cycle, multiplied by 50 or 100 bags per minute, which shows the capacity the weigher's electronic control system needs.
- Dennis Feldbusch says there is no standard transfer system for stick-shaped products; each is adapted to the product, whether it feeds a vertical bagger, tray loader or thermoformer.
Common questions
- How does a multihead weigher work?
- According to Thomas Bornemann of Hastamat, a multihead or combination weigher runs with a number of bins, each controlled by a load cell. To be accurate, it finds a combination of several bins that together make the final requested filling weight. In a 14-head combination, there can be up to 54,000 possible combinations per cycle, and that has to be multiplied by 50 or 100 bags per minute.
- What does a transfer system do in a weighing and bagging line?
- Thomas Bornemann of Hastamat explains that, in simple terms, the transfer system receives the weighed product from the weigher and puts it into the packaging machine. Its challenges include keeping the product oriented, leveling the product, and sometimes distributing it to different filling stations.
- Are transfer systems standard for stick-shaped products?
- No. Dennis Feldbusch of Hastamat says that for stick-shaped products there is no standard: all transfer systems are customized to the product. Meat sticks, cheese sticks and pretzel sticks each act a little differently, so Hastamat adapts the transfer system to the product, whether it feeds a vertical bagger, tray loader or thermoformer.
Transcript
Tom Rougeux, President, Piepenbrock Packaging
Okay, so what is a weigher? In easy to understand terms, what is a weigher?
Thomas Bornemann, Director Sales & Marketing, Hastamat
I mean, the weigher is maybe not the right word. We're talking about multihead weigher or combination weigher. That means the combination weigher is running with a different kind of, of bins, and each single bin is controlled by a load cell, and to be very accurate we are finding a combination of several bins to bring down finally the final requested filling weight.
Tom Rougeux
So if you have something that weighs, you want it to weigh one kilogram, you might call on a bin. One bin has 0.4 kilograms, one bin has 0.2 kilograms and the other bin has 0.4 kilograms, and you signal those three bins, dump it in, and the result is one kilogram.
Thomas Bornemann
Exactly. It sounds that simple, but just to give you a sample of a 14-head combination, where I have, for example, up to 54,000 possible combinations per cycle. So we have to multiply this with 50 or 100 bags per minute, so you know the capacity of the electronic control system of the weigher.
Tom Rougeux
That's a lot of permutations. So beneath the weigher itself, when those bins open up, the mechanism that you're talking about that it goes into is called a transfer system.
Dennis Feldbusch, Area Sales Manager, Hastamat
Yes, so we call it a transfer system, and what we saw, especially for the sticks products, for the stick shape product, is that the transfer system between the weigher and the packaging machine, it doesn't matter if it's a vertical bagger, it's a tray loader, it's a thermoformer, it's really a very important piece of this equipment, and especially for stick shape products, all transfer systems are customized to the product.
There is no, I would say, there is no standard.
Tom Rougeux
Okay.
Dennis Feldbusch
So if you're talking about meat sticks, if you're talking about cheese sticks, talking about pretzel sticks, every product acts a little bit different, and so we adapt the transfer system right to the product.
Tom Rougeux
So the job, if I understand it correctly, of a transfer system is to receive the weighed product above from the weigher and put it into the bagger, put it into the bag?
Thomas Bornemann
If you like to explain it on a simple way, yes.
Tom Rougeux
So what are some of the challenges that a transfer system has, Thomas?
Thomas Bornemann
I mean, the challenges is, first of all, the transfer system has to keep the orientation of the product. The transfer system sometimes has to level the product. Sometimes the transfer system has to distribute the product to different filling stations.
So it's, there are many, many things.
Tom Rougeux
So it's the heart of the machine, would you say?
Thomas Bornemann
It has at least the same importance than the weigher and the bagger.
Tom Rougeux
Okay.
Dennis Feldbusch
Especially for stick shape products, like Thomas said, to keep the orientation, to do different things with the product in this levels.
