Weighing electronics
The term weighing electronics refers to products that evaluate signals from load cells or transmit or display measurement results/weight values from weighing instruments. With the help of the weighing electronics, the measurement results can be calibrated and, if necessary, re-calibrated (also known as adjustment).
Minebea Intec has a broad portfolio of weighing electronics which offer the optimum solution for every application. The range extends from simple weighing transmitters, which reliably process high-precision weight values from silo and hopper scales, to process and weighing indicators, which quickly and accurately display weight values, to weight controllers, which in addition to numerous interfaces and options can also offer the possibility of programming applications yourself. Weighing electronics are connected either directly or via cable junction boxes to load cells or a weighing platform. In addition, several scales can be connected to one weighing electronics device.
What are the areas of application for weighing electronics?
Weighing electronics are used in a variety of industries to ensure reliable evaluation of the signal from load cells or industrial scales. Depending on the application, a different product is recommended: Weighing transmitters often only process signals from analog or weight values from digital load cells and, thanks to their space-saving design, offer simple integration into existing production systems. Some transmitters are equipped with a simple display on which the weight values are displayed and which is used for status monitoring on site. An example of this is the CSD-92 transmitter, which can be installed on DIN rails to save space and, despite its compact dimensions, offers an FSTN liquid crystal display that can be freely configured.
Process or weighing indicators, on the other hand, are a device for convenient, digital display of weight values. Indicators can also be used to control numerous applications, such as filling, counting and checkweighing. The configuration of the models is easy with modern electronics: process indicators such as the X3 can be configured remotely via an integrated website. Features such as Smart Calibration allow adjustment to be carried out completely without weights. Reliable and fast processing of weight values with up to 120,000 steps is also guaranteed with the X3.
Weighing controllers, on the other hand, not only offer a convenient display, numerous connection options via interface options such as TCP/IP, ModBus TCP, ProfibusDP or Ethernet/IP and digital and analog inputs and outputs, but are also ideally suited for controlling or automating complex weighing processes. Users can also program the controller themselves using the IEC61131 programming language and optimally adapt its application as required. As a multi-purpose device, the Maxxis 5 already offers six pre-installed applications, so that the device can be integrated directly into processes after delivery.
For which applications are weighing electronics relevant?
As with load cells, weighing electronics can be used for standard tasks such as weighing, filling and dosing, as well as for checking filling quantities. These products ensure safe and reliable processing of weighing results in container and silo weighing for the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, chemical, agricultural and building materials industries. For tabletop and floor scales, products such as the Midrics or Combics weighing indicator are the ideal choice of compact display and control units with integrated evaluation.
Weighing electronics also play an important role in vehicle weighing, such as with the Inteco PR 6203 load cell with Connexx as a digital upgrade. While in the load cells are installed in a pit, it is advantageous to detect possible errors and malfunctions in the connected weighing indicator, While the load cells are installed in the pit, the connected weighing indicator is installed remotely. Thus, in case of load-cell errors or malfunctions, the indicator shows which load cell is affected.
What are the important features of weighing terminals?
In the case of weighing electronics, ease of use is a particularly important point: the user must intuitively understand the elements of the user interface in order to be able to operate the system. In addition, the display of the weighing terminal must also be clearly arranged so that all relevant information can be seen at a glance. Minebea Intec's solutions score highly with high-contrast LCD displays with backlighting for improved legibility or supporting in built Hi-Lo-Go traffic lights for control applications. Products such as the Maxxis 5 weighing controller even go one step further and offer an integrated help function for operation. On the display of the terminal, all information on applications such as counting or control weighing or average calculation can be read off at a single glance.
As well as operation, the question of interface options is also important, because the weighing electronics may need to communicate with other devices and systems. Here, it is important to determine which interface is required: From serial interfaces, USB interfaces, Ethernet TCP/IP, ModBus TCP, to Profibus DP, DeviceNet, ProfiNet, or Ethernet/IP, there are many ways to ensure trouble-free communication between the devices. Last but not least, numerous digital and analog inputs and outputs are also available to support possible system control. Weighing electronics also offer automatic backup functions for the data to be read. With the Maxxis 5 controller, the user can simply insert an SD memory card on which the data can be stored for unlimited transparency.
White Paper: Are you aware of the disrupting influences in your weighing process?
External factors can have a considerable impact on industrial weighing processes.
