By Frank Borrmann, market manager for the strategic business unit checkweighing & vision, Mettler-Toledo Garvens GmbH
IN the food manufacturing industry, waste reduction is vital for both economic efficiency and environmental sustainability. Manufacturers face rising demands to minimise waste, including the unnecessary disposal of products and to meet stringent regulatory requirements for product weight accuracy. With modern innovations in checkweighing technology, manufacturers can reduce waste at every stage of production, from raw materials to finished products.
From raw materials to finished products
Waste reduction begins as soon as raw materials enter the production line. Traditionally, checkweighers have been essential for preventing underfilled or overfilled products, both of which can lead to waste. Underfilled products risk non-compliance with regulations, potentially leading to costly recalls, while overfilled items waste valuable ingredients, driving up material costs.
Modern checkweighing systems, however, have transformed this process by incorporating advanced load cell technology that allows for real-time weighing adjustments. These dynamic checkweighers, capable of processing hundreds of products per minute with exceptional accuracy, help see that every product meets its specified weight. This significantly reduces the chance of overfilling and material waste, allowing manufacturers to maintain production speed while adhering to stringent weight regulations.
In-motion checkweighers are designed to handle a wide range of product types, from light items like snack bags to heavier products like canned goods, all without sacrificing accuracy. As products move down the line, advanced sensors adjust to each product’s unique weight requirements, facilitating optimal precision and compliance with legal metrology standards.
These systems are part of a broader shift towards Intelligent Weighing Automation, using real-time data and connectivity to drive automatic adjustments in the production process. By integrating checkweighers with upstream and downstream equipment, manufacturers can unlock smarter control over fill volumes, optimise line performance and significantly reduce material waste. This technology allows adjustments to happen continuously, in real time, without disrupting output, enabling higher accuracy and efficiency across the production line.
At the heart of this automation is Feedback Control, a smart communication loop between the checkweigher and the upstream filling machine. When the dynamic checkweigher detects a deviation from the target weight, it sends immediate data upstream, prompting the filler to automatically adjust its output.
This intelligent response assists with consistent product weights without the need for manual intervention or production pauses. By reducing overfill, minimising giveaway and keeping production on track, Feedback Control demonstrates how intelligent systems can drive both compliance and cost savings while maintaining high throughput.
Reducing waste through preventive maintenance
Once production is in full swing, the challenge shifts to maintaining operational efficiency. Unplanned downtime or equipment malfunctions can lead to production halts, resulting in wasted products that can no longer be sold. Preventive maintenance plays a key role in reducing this risk by identifying potential issues before they become critical, from basic cleaning routines to professional equipment inspections, worn part replacements and service recommendations.
By implementing a regular preventive maintenance schedule, manufacturers can keep checkweighers and inspection systems in optimal working condition. This helps to prevent downtime, avoid inaccurate readings and reduce the risk of spoilage or product loss due to unexpected shutdowns. In high-sensitivity environments such as fresh or frozen food production, where even brief interruptions can compromise product quality, a proactive maintenance plan becomes essential. Whether you’re a business owner, maintenance manager or equipment operator, investing in preventive care is a simple yet powerful way to reduce waste and keep operations running smoothly.
Tackling environmental challenges with vibration compensation
Environmental challenges, such as vibrations from nearby machinery or unstable floors, can interfere with traditional checkweighing systems. In a typical manufacturing facility, conveyor systems, packaging machines and other high-speed equipment often create vibrations that skew weighing accuracy, leading to false rejects or incorrect weight measurements.
Modern checkweighing technology addresses this issue with vibration compensation mechanisms. These systems use high-resolution sensors and advanced algorithms to neutralise the effects of external vibrations, meaning that the weighing process remains precise even in dynamic production environments. Whether it’s vibrations from a passing forklift or continuous motion from upstream equipment, the vibration compensation means that weight readings are not affected.
By stabilising the weighing process, manufacturers can minimise the number of products that are incorrectly rejected due to vibrations. This reduces unnecessary waste caused by falsely rejected items while being sure that products are weighed accurately in any production setting.
Utilising data for continuous improvement
The journey of waste reduction doesn’t stop once products are accurately weighed. Today’s Intelligent Checkweighers serve as a central part of manufacturers’ digital automation strategy, generating a wealth of data that can be used to further optimise processes. Each checkweigher continuously collects and stores performance data, allowing manufacturers to track trends, identify inefficiencies and adjust processes to further minimise waste.
This reflects the wider evolution of modern production environments under Industry 4.0, where automation, connectivity and real-time analytics are driving smarter, more agile operations. Intelligent Weighing Automation plays a crucial role in this transformation – not only by controlling performance at the machine level, but by feeding valuable insights into broader decision-making systems.
For instance, by analysing product weight data over time, manufacturers can identify if certain products are consistently on the edge of acceptable weight limits. By making small adjustments to upstream processes, such as the filling or packaging stages, manufacturers can further reduce the likelihood of underfilled or overfilled products. This fine-tuning improves both material efficiency and compliance with weight regulations.
Data insights also provide a basis for long-term improvements. By reviewing historical performance metrics, manufacturers can predict future waste levels and adjust to optimise resource use, meaning that their operations remain as efficient as possible over time.
Other waste-reducing technologies
While checkweighing plays a critical role in waste reduction, it’s not the only technology available to manufacturers looking to reduce waste. A holistic approach, combining checkweighing with other product inspection systems, further enhances a manufacturer’s ability to reduce waste at every stage of the production line.
Metal detection: Metal detection systems are essential for identifying metal contaminants in food products. By removing contaminated items before they are further processed or packaged, manufacturers can save both material and labour costs. Metal detection systems are particularly useful when installed at the beginning of the production line to inspect raw materials, stopping contamination before it progresses through the entire process.
X-ray inspection: X-ray inspection systems complement metal detection by identifying a wide range of contaminants such as metal, glass, stones, bones and certain plastics. In addition to detecting foreign materials, x-ray systems also verify product integrity, checking fill levels, component counts and detecting product trapped in seals. This multi-functional capability helps reduce waste not only from contaminants but also from packaging errors. By catching these issues before products reach the end of the line, x-ray inspection helps prevent costly recalls or the reworking of entire batches.
Vision inspection: Vision systems are there to help make sure products are properly packaged and labelled, verifying that each package contains the correct number of components and that labels are applied accurately. Packaging errors can lead to recalls or the need for reworking, both of which generate waste. By catching these errors early, vision inspection systems help reduce the likelihood of packaging waste.
Data management systems: Integrating checkweighing and other product inspection systems with data management software, such as ProdX™ from Mettler-Toledo, allows manufacturers to monitor all inspection activities in real time. This software tracks everything from contaminant detection to weight compliance, providing a complete overview of the production line. By analysing this data, manufacturers can continuously refine their processes, identify waste reduction opportunities, and improve traceability across their operations.
Conclusion
Reducing waste in food manufacturing is not a single-step process – it involves multiple layers of technology working together to optimise production efficiency. Advanced intelligent checkweighing systems, with their high-speed capabilities and automated feedback loops, supported by preventive maintenance programmes, play a crucial role in in driving accurate weighing and waste reduction.
When these checkweighers are integrated with other inspection systems, such as metal detection, x-ray and vision inspection technologies, manufacturers can create a comprehensive waste reduction strategy. By embracing Intelligent Weighing Automation and integrating these technologies as part of a connected strategy, manufacturers can reduce waste, improve efficiency and strengthen their digital maturity journey.
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