A portable weighing platform and terminal has provided a cost-effective check weighing solution at the Newport site of industrial chemicals manufacturer Solutia UK
Solutia produces five groups of industrial chemicals in separate production units in a manufacturing facility covering some 107 acres.
Rather than having a fixed weighing installation for each production unit, Solutia looked for a portable option that would offer greater flexibility.
As well as portability, a key requirement for the equipment was its ability to be operated in hazardous areas.
Site E/I engineer Gordon Cain explains: "We needed equipment capable of meeting Trading Standards approval in operations where we are filling industrial bulk containers with a range of different chemicals.
Because of the corrosive nature of the liquid being handled, I selected stainless steel as the material of construction for the scale.
Other factors such as the ability to operate in flammable areas also had to be taken into account.
Battery operation gave us not just the flexibility to be able to move the scales around, but also the advantage of not having to install certified power supplies at the various locations where the scale is used." The solution to all of these requirements came in the form of a combination of Mettler Toledo's DNES3000Tx weighing platform, a robust scale capable of weighing up to 3000kg, with an ID3sTx terminal.
The ID3sTx is a display unit specifically designed for use in the hazardous areas of zones 2, 7, and 11 and has a weight display approved for class III legal applications.
So that the equipment could be moved around the site, Mettler Toledo also designed and produced a framework which included a column for the indicator and housing for the battery, as well as incorporating guides for the fork lift truck.
Having purchased this combination, a development at the factory necessitated a permanent weighing installation on a remote part of the site.
The original equipment was therefore installed and converted, as Gordon Cain explains: "We needed the equipment to perform target weight and batch control functions in an operation where we were offloading from twenty tonne to one tonne containers.
Conversion of our existing equipment proved to offer the most straightforward option and with a conversion kit supplied by Mettler Toledo we were able to adapt the equipment to control outputs from the bulk container by shutting off the supply valve when the target weight was reached." Still with a need for portable equipment, Solutia bought a second DNES3000Tx platform and terminal.
A product modification meant that with this equipment, the battery was encased within the indicator, which gave better weatherproofing. This portable unit continues to be used for check weighing and is also used in some of the production processes where liquid has to be pumped in measured quantities into the process.
Bulk containers are loaded onto the weighing platform which is used to measure the amount being pumped into the process.
Solutia UK now uses Mettler Toledo equipment as standard across its whole Newport site.
Equipment ranges from small portable scales to purpose-built filling machines which use Mettler Toledo weighing equipment and a flake bagging machine is currently being upgraded with Mettler Toledo electronic control.
Solutia UK also receives full service back up, annual approved calibration and technical support.
The ID3sTx is intrinsically safe and can be used in zones 1 and 2.
The stainless steel housing guarantees protection to IP65, allowing thorough cleaning in environments where hygiene and safety are critical.
The versatile terminal is suitable for mobile use - two battery pack variants are available which provide a working time of up to 300 hours.
Power is supplied either by an internal or external battery or an internal power supply unit.
The ID3sTX terminal is extremely rugged and robust so ideal for industrial use.
The green digital display can be read rapidly without errors and additional reliability and time saving during weighing-in are guaranteed thanks to the analogue LED display.
In checkweighing and classifying, three colours signal clearly and quickly whether your weighing sample lies within the pre-selected tolerance.
The unrivalled precision of the ID3sTX is packaged in rugged chrome-nickel steel to enable you to clean the terminal thoroughly and to also meet the strictest demands regarding hygiene.
Retrofittable interfaces allow data and signal interchange with external devices and the printout of complete weighing records with identification data on the attachable GA46-printer.
The ID3sTx can be connected to analogue weighing platforms and sensors, providing a weighing range of 6 -12000kg.
Other features include a large high-contrast liquid-crystal display and a numerical keypad for entering default tare values.
There are also up to two data interfaces for communication with peripheral equipment such as a printer, PC or setpoint controller, which can be located in a safe area up to 300m away.
