PROCESS EQUIPMENT UPDATE
Te storage hopper is sized and designed based on total maximum ingredient capacity required. For example, on a loss-in-weight micro ingredient scale, each individual ingredient bin is mounted on load cells. Tis measures the exact amount being dispensed on a per-bin basis.
PROS AND CONS OF GIW VERSUS LIW Te pros and cons can be divided into four major categories: • Cost • Accuracy • Speed • Downtime
Analysing each category will assist in determining which system is best for your process. Balancing these categories is key to making the right choice. So, what are the pros and cons of each
option?
GIW PROS & CONS Pro: Low cost. Because only one feeder runs at a time, electrical hardware used for controls can be shared between ingredient bins. Common components reduce the need for a large inventory of replacement parts. You should always request that the manufacturer use components readily available in your area. Pro: Accuracy and storage balance. Scales can be designed to higher accuracy standards due to reduced capacity requirements based on the formula’s ingredient usage for a single batch. Tis reduces the need for constantly
refilling storage bins by increasing capacity to a size that fits the process. Con: Downtime on hardware failure.
Major electrical components – such as VFDs and scale indicators – used in operating the GIW system are shared. Failure of one will influence all the feeding devices. Con: Speed. Cycle time is determined
by the number of feeders assigned to the gain-in-weight scale. Te more ingredients assigned to a scale within the formula, the more run time will be required to complete the batch.
LIW PROS & CONS Pro: Speed. An LIW system allows for each feeder to have its own feeding devices and controls. Tis reduces time spent scaling a formula since all ingredients are scaled simultaneously.
Specialist system for micro ingredients
Pro: Reduced downtime due to a single component failure. Downtime is minimised or eliminated when ingredients are stored in multiple bins and a failure occurs in the scale or feeding device. Con: Cost. Additional components – such as load cells and controls hardware – are required to allow feeders to operate independently. Con: Accuracy. Te accuracy of the LIW system is dependent on the storage capacity required by the user. High- capacity storage bins require high-capacity scale components. You will need to carefully review load cell specifications to ensure that they meet the accuracy desired.
SO WHICH SYSTEM IS RIGHT FOR YOU? Tere are additional factors that may influence your choice of batching system.
Maybe you have plenty in the budget for the additional cost of a loss-in-weight system but have determined that speed is not a priority.
What if accuracy is more important than speed, yet you like the added benefit of the ingredient bins being on load cells for inventory reconciliation? Or, what about tight budgets with fast
cycle rates, extremely accurate dispenses, and the highest reliability equipment on the market? Determine what is most important to
your application, consult the experts, and get references from the manufacturer for equipment in the same industry as your own.
Jessica Stank is with Apec.
www.apecusa.com
www.engineerlive.com 17
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