Keeping Your Bagging Scale Operating at Peak Performance

Your bagging scale is your company’s profit center. Accurately measuring your products, reducing product giveaway and keeping the bagging scale running smoothly directly impacts your bottom line.

Some tips to help you maximize bagging scale performance:

• Keep it clean. Some scales have easy lift-off sides for fast, tool-less access. Put the scale in clean out mode with weigh bucket doors open. Using a compressed air gun, blow off any accumulated materials on the weigh bucket, weigh frame and in the gravity feed or belt feed sections. Do this at shift start and end to keep material from building up. Use a putty knife to remove built-up materials.
• Run the scale empty. You’d be surprised how many companies end their shift and leave a scale and scale hopper full of material. Run both empty to keep material from building up.
• Calibrate the system with certified test weights at least twice a year.
• Bearings: Grease bearings to keep them smoothly operating.
• Review pneumatics annually. Replace or rebuild worn air cylinders or valves.
• Monitor gaskets and seals, replacing those that are worn.
• Make sure flow controls are properly set.
• Adjust feed gate (on gravity feed designs) to meet material flow requirements to maximize accuracy. Different bulk density materials flow differently. Be sure your operators know how to adjust feed gates to maximize fill accuracy.

These simple actions help you get the most out of your scale investment and watch your company’s bottom line profitability.

Information provided by Hamer-Fischbein LLC.