Packing operations are always a challenge due to their sheer number of variables. An important part of the process is weighing containers and items for accurate billing or load checking. The method used for this task can profoundly affect accuracy by increasing the impact on productivity and adding extra strain to the operation’s workers. The following article describes a few tips for choosing a weighing integrator that will work effectively in packing operations without disrupting other parts of the process:
- When considering the efficiency of a weighing system, it’s important to keep in mind that the ideal choice balances productivity with technical requirements towards the end-users of the data being collected by it – namely, those who will make use of information on containers of item weight, obtained from the integrator used. Designing systems that provide accurate values without disrupting workers’ pace or workflow is also vital. This is a major advantage that lives load cells have over other types of integrators since they can perform data acquisition without their presence being noticed by other employees.
- When choosing a weighing integrator, its design must align with integration needs, which may be unique depending on whether one is handling products or containers. For instance, if products are typically handled via manual lifting, then integration periods may need to occur periodically throughout the process, whereas with containers, it’ll only happen once when they are loaded/unloaded from the packing station.
- Stability of the integrator is especially important for using cases where containers are being weighed as they can easily slip off unstable surfaces, resulting in damage to either employee, equipment, or both. As such, it’s necessary to select an integrator with fall protection features so that loss of container weight data is avoided even if the integrating surface becomes unstable for any reason.
- When handling containerized products with different weight classes, it is necessary to use an integrator that can accommodate the maximum possible load of all the unit loads (or containers) at any given time, or at least provide a reasonable estimation. Since manually weighing each item might not be practical in some situations, an integrator capable of integrating multiple smaller items into one single countable value during periods where integration is required would be most suitable for the process.
When weighing for packing operations, you need to make sure that the scale and integrator can handle the weight and speed of your load. Furthermore, you should find a familiar system and train your operators accordingly if necessary.
