Hopper Scales and Tank Load CellsHopper scales weigh a continuous flow of product, playing an important role in harsh environments, such as food-processing plants. That product ... Hopper scales weigh a continuous flow of product, playing an important role in harsh environments, such as food-processing plants. That product then flows into batches for packing. Regardless of environment, hopper scales do not trade off weighing accuracy for robustness. Hopper scales are a type of weigh module, which can be used to convert nearly any structure into a scale. They can be part of a structure’s original design, or can be added to an existing structure. Hopper scales, for example, include a hopper container that is open at the top and is generally used to process solid materials in the form of powders or granules. Hopper scales most commonly are used to dispense materials or collect ingredients that are then used later for processing. Hopper scales tend to be smaller in size and are often suspended from a superstructure. Tank load cells, on the other hand, are larger than hopper scales. Tank load cells feature a tank that is usually a closed container used to store or process liquids, gases or free-flowing solids. Tanks range in size from small, such as residential propane or heating fuel tanks, to large industrial tanks that hold several tons of material. Tank load cells can be horizontal or vertical, as well as symmetrical or non-symmetrical. Tank load cells also are typically supported by compression weigh modules. Weigh modules, includes tank load cells and hopper scales, are used for material handling in many industries. By simply attaching a system of weigh modules to one of these containers, you can weigh the contents with accuracy and reliability. Other weigh modules include silos and vessels, which can be more elaborate. Vessels, for instance, allow heating, cooling, mixing or other processes. Chemical reactions often take place in vessels, so precisely weighing material additions is extremely important.
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Accurate Inventory Control
Gravimetric level control is one of the most accurate inventory control methods available for measuring high-value solids, liquids and even gases inside tanks. Tank load cell is placed outside of the tank, which makes them superior to other measuring methods for aggressive, hot, frozen, non-free-flowing or non-self-leveling materials. Measuring results are not impacted by tank shape, materials or process parameters, such as temperature or material viscosity.
Compression Weigh Modules
Most tanks holding 10 kilograms to 1,000 tons or more are mounted on compression load cells or compression weigh modules for weighing. The RockerPin ensures the best accuracy in case of thermal expansion or contraction. Compression weigh modules are ideal for turning tanks into tank scales. In addition, smaller tanks can be mounted on bench or floor scales, which is convenient for legal-for-trade applications.
Suspended Weigh Modules
Tanks or hopper scales can be suspended from tension load cells or weigh modules, with accuracy similar to that achievable with compression systems. This mounting method can be convenient if an overhead structure already exists, or if the ground space under the scale must be kept clear. It is applicable for scales with capacities of approximately 20 kilograms (45 lbs.) to 30 tons.
Protected Load Cells
Outdoor tanks must have safety features to protect the load cell during installation and operation. Tanks are exposed to wind forces. This requires features for weigh modules to cope with uplift forces on one side and extreme load on the other. Temperature changes can result in expansion and contraction of the support structure. Our weigh modules are designed to cope with such circumstances.
Online Status Information, Easy Cabeling
Weigh modules with POWERCELL® technology reduce downtime with predictive maintenance. A run-flat function allows you to continue a batch in the event of a damaged load cell or a broken connecting cable. A daisy-chain-type network technology with plug-and-play connectors eliminates the need for junction boxes, which can be prone to damage. The CalFreePlus™ feature eliminates need for re-calibration in the event the cables or load cells have to be replaced.
Safety Tested with Full Load
METTLER TOLEDO weigh modules are designed to mitigate uplift forces resulting from wind and earthquakes and temperature-related expansion and contraction of the tank's support structure. We perform Finite Element Analysis on mechanical parts and perform tests to expose even heavy-capacity weigh modules to real-life conditions with full loads.
Publications
White Papers
Learn about the design, installation and maintenance aspects of using gravimetric level control. The whitepaper addresses decision makers in productio...
METTLER TOLEDO - In food manufacturing, ineffective equipment cleaning results in contamination risks, but thorough equipment cleaning takes time.
Brochures
The new brochure presents a comprehensive range of weighing components.
Guides
This comprehensive library of information on tank-weighing and customized scale design will help those in engineering, operations or integration app...
Webinars
The planning and installation of tank, silo and vessel weighing systems are critical phases in achieving the required accuracy level in your process....
Learn about potential dangers which might damage a tank system and the weigh modules design features which can help to avoid accidents. Summary Env...
Magazines
Future food processing and packing facilities will run on ‘big data’ intelligently improving decision making and planning. But how does making the ri...
Flexibility when integrating automation is critical to your success. METTLER TOLEDO helps you improve machine performance and exceed your customers' h...
Many consumers are striving to eat healthier. Greater attention than ever is being paid to reading labels and to understanding what goes into food pro...
Just selling machines is not enough for profitable growth. Regularly required services such as calibration and condition monitoring can contribute to...
The need to improve process efficiency in highly competitive packaged food markets is constant.
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Service
Professional Installation and Setup
METTLER TOLEDO's StarterPac is designed for professional product installations and solid user familiarization in lowly regulated or unregulated environments. This ensures direct deployment, immediate use and optimal productivity right from the start.
The IPac is designed for regulated industries with the need for assurance that products are safe and of consistently high quality. This ensures peak performance and thoroughly documented compliance with internal standards and external regulations.
Innovative RapidCal™ Tank Scale Calibration
Calibrate Faster
RapidCal™ Tank Scale Calibration equipment is highly portable and requires minimal preparation time and effort in use. Loading and calibration are done quickly, resulting in lower downtime over the course of a year. How much would your business save by reducing production shutdowns for calibration?
High Accuracy
The calibration force applied by hydraulic cylinders is measured by highly accurate reference load cells whose calibration is traceable to test weight standards. The process pulls down on the scale identically to normal weighing, thus automatically accounting for piping effects.
Preventive Maintenance Ensures Consistent Performance
This service provides you with periodic, preventive maintenance according to the frequency of equipment use and process risks to avoid unexpected equipment downtime and ensure continuously accurate and reliable operations including:
- Data backup and storage
- Inspection and cleaning
- Calibration and adjustment
- Documenting equipment condition
- Service recommendations
Tank Scale Health Inspection
METTLER TOLEDO's Tank Scale Health Inspection service is an equipment inspection that proactively discovers issues before they cause unexpected downtime or quality problems. Upon completion of the health inspection, a detailed report will be provided to you that contains the scale’s condition and any associated service recommendations.
A Tank Scale Health Inspection provides information on:
- Status of load cell, force introduction, junction box and wiring
- Performance reducers such as piping, wiring or environmental impacts
Consulting for Evaluation and Design Review
As time and budget are often limited, you may not always have the in-house expertise or capacity required to evaluate adequate equipment or review your design before going to production. You may require assistance with:
- Analysis and documentation of requirements
- Ensuring best design for achieving required weighing performance
- Ensuring compliance with standards and regulations
- Evaluating safety risks during installation and operation
Upgrade Existing Equipment
Existing tank, silo, hopper or vessel scales can be upgraded with modern weighing equipment to improve accuracy, reliability and uptime:
- Real-time diagnostics for predictive maintenance
- Higher accuracy thanks to modern weighing technology
- Easy to replace load cells and cables with plug and play connectors
- Overload stops provide more safety in cases of strong wind and earthquakes
Standard and Customized Training
We offer a wide range of training programs tailored to fit the needs of designers and installers of the tank manufacturers as well as the maintenance of the end user. Our experts around the world provide know-how such as:
- Understanding principles of metrology
- Design considerations for tank, silo, hopper or vessel scales
- Maintenance of equipment to ensure performance
- Safety precautions during installation and repair
- Competence testing and certification
Repair Service to Restore Performance
Rely on the manufacturer's competence for fast, reliable repair services performed by certified METTLER TOLEDO Service Technicians with the right skills, tools and original spare parts to ensure that:
- Error diagnostics isolate the root cause
- Problems are solved correctly the first time
- Equipment is re-configured to ensure return to previous performance
- Future problems can be avoided
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