Feature

It’s time to upgrade weighing systems for more efficient production

The old saying ‘time is money’ holds true across many industries. However, in food processing, good quality control is money, with errors the costly enemy. Here, Stephen Hayes, Managing Director of Beckhoff UK, explains why food manufacturers require control automation to increase efficiency and prevent avoidable costs.

04/11/2024 16:42:27

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From logistics and transportation to food manufacturing and agriculture, weighing technology plays a crucial role. Yet, in the past, these industries relied on manual methodologies and traditional measurement techniques.

Weighing scales,
predominantly mechanical in nature, operated through spring or lever mechanisms that required manual adjustments and calibration. Such systems were susceptible to inaccuracies, stemming from factors like friction and wear, with operators carrying
out labour-intensive practices that made them manually position objects on scales before visually interpreting measurements.

The resulting documentation and record keeping involved paper-based methods, which are not only prone to errors, but
are time-consuming too. All these factors made quality control very challenging, often resulting in discrepancies, delays, and increased risk of regulatory non-compliance.

Increased efficiency
These challenges have influenced the advancement of digital
weighing technology. In fact, the global industrial weighing equipment market is predicted to expand over 1.7 times between now and 2033, due to the increasing demand for automated weighing solutions.

Read the full article in DPA's November issue

Written By Sophia Bell

Sophia Bell is the Group Editor of DPA, Connectivity, and PBSI. She joined the team in 2020 as Assistant Editor after achieving a First-Class Honours BA in English Literature and Film Studies from the University of East Anglia. In her current role, she leads the editorial strategy, driving digital growth and ensuring each title continues to deliver trusted, relevant insight for engineering and manufacturing professionals.