Optimize Your Process Weighing Accuracy

Optimize Your Process
www.hardyinst. com
Weighing Accuracy
Choose The Right

Components for Greatest
Accuracy
Presented by;
Ted Kopczynski
Optimize Process Weighing Accuracy
• Weighing System
• Load Cell Accuracy
• Load Factors
• Environmental Forces
• Interference with Signal Transmission
• Instrumentation & Control
• What Accuracy Can You Expect
www.hardyinstruments.com
• A weighing system
– Load points, load sensors & load cells
• Vessel or platform
– Junction box
– Cable
– Instrumentation
• Blind
• Display/keyboard
• Load Points, Load Sensors & Load Cells

– Converts mechanical force to an electrical
signal
– Strain gauges
– Modulus of elasticity
• Load Cell Accuracy

– Non-linearity
– Hysteresis
– Non-repeatability
– Creep
– Temperature effect on output & zero
– Response Time
• Non-linearity
– +/- 0.018 percent of rated load
– The max deviation of the cell calibration curve
from a straight line from
• Zero load
– Adding weight
• Max rated capacity
• Use Non-linearity spec for Accuracy if

– Filling a vessel to a specific weight
– Dispensing the ENTIRE contents
– Controlled environment
– Good mechanical scale
• Hysteresis
– +/-0.025 percent of rated output
– Difference between cell output for the same applied
load
• Increasing from zero
• Decreasing from max capacity
– Taking weight off
– Diminishes with
• Small changes in weight
• Only filling or dispensing entire contents at once
• Use Hysteresis spec for Accuracy if

– Dispensing incremental amounts from a
vessel
– Controlled environment
– Good Mechanical scale
• Non-repeatability
– +/-0.01 percent of rated output
– Max difference between cell output for
repeated loadings under…
• Identical loading conditions
• Identical environmental conditions
– Essential for batching application
• Creep
– +/- 0.01% of rated output in 5 min
– Change in output over time
– Significant only if load remains on the scale for
a long time period
• Storage silo inventory monitoring
• Temperature change effect

– On output +/-0.0008% of load per ºF
– On zero +/-0.0001% of load per ºF
– Only consider if the temp changes during the
weigh cycle
– Temp effect requires a recalibration
– Temp effect on zero only requires auto zero or
tare
• Response Time
– High speed check weighing
– Rotary filling machines
– Cells settling time must be shorter than the
weighing period.
– Dampen own natural frequency
– Not an issue for batch weighing
• Load Factors
– Transmission of load to cell
– External vessel piping
– Mounting hardware
– The vessel
– Structure
• Transmission of the load to the cell

– Must be to the same point
– Twisting forces
• Change in weight signal proportional to the
twist rather than the weight
– Side loading
• Vector equivalent of force
– Equal distribution of the load
• External vessel piping

– MUST be Flexible
– Horizontal vs. Vertical
– If Rigid piping
• Minimum unsupported length from vessel
• Length = 36 X pipe diameter
• Support to same plane as cells
• Mounting hardware
– Channels weight directly through the cell
– In compression directly under the vessel leg
– Provide equal load sharing
• Level
• Same plane as other cells
• Junction Box
– Material
• Stainless Steel
• Fiberglass
• Painted Steel
– Sealing Level
• Moisture
• Humidity
• Cable glands
• The Vessel
– Wall thickness to support its load
• Limit flexing
– Jacketed
• Limit buoyancy
– Steam heating
– Hot gas
– Pressurized or vacuum
• Venting
– Swaying
• Tension systems www.hardyinstruments.com
• The structure
– Strong enough to support..
• Weight of the vessel
• Full capacity contents
– Take into account other vessels using the
same support structure
– Brace vessels with spindly legs
– Take into account ice, snow or water
accumulations
• Environmental Forces
– Wind loading
– Temperature
– Operational shock
– Vibration
– Pressure Differentials
– Lighting
• Wind loading
– 30-mile-per-hour cross wind on vessel exerts
forces on the cell
– Cell capacity high enough to prevent
overloading leeward cells
– Air conditioning vents
• Temperature
– Vessel expands or contracts
• Insure mounting hardware corrects for this
– Place vessel where there are no temp
gradients
• Sun warming one side of the vessel
• Operational shock
– Forces greater than rated capacity
– Heavy material dumped onto the scale
– Use higher capacity cells
– Control material flow
• Loading chute
• Feeder
• Vibration
– A measurable force on the scale
– Beware of metal fatigue
– Instruments can eliminate its’ effect
• WAVERSAVER®
– Fluid sloshing
• Pressure differentials
– Vessel between two floors
• One pressurized the other not
– Material flowing into a closed vessel displaces
a volume of air equal to the volume of material
• Use proper venting
• Lightning
– Grounding straps to channel electricity around
the cell
– Beware of static electricity
– No electrical arc welding
• Heat
• Complete welding before installing the load
cells
• Interference with Signal Transmission

– RFI and EMI
– Moisture
– Temperature
• Electrical noise RFI and EMI

– Portable two-way radios
– Large power lines
– Static electricity
– Solenoids
– Electromechanical relays
– Lighting
• Electrical noise RFI and EMI

– Isolate in shielded cable
• Beware of ground loops
• Properly ground the shield
– Route in conduit separate from
other cables
• Moisture
– Wicks into the cables
• Reduces the capacitance between excitation and signal
lines
• Creates electrical noise
– Use TRUE hermetic sealed cells
• IP67 vs. IP68
– Humidity
• Film of 1mm deep
• 16 foot diameter vessel flat top
• Adds 20kg (44lb) of weight
• Temperature
– Greater than 50 feet causes resistance
changes
– Use six wire cable
– Instrument with ratio metric circuitry
• Instrumentation and Control

– Cleaning up the signal
– Key Specifications
– Local display or no display
• Cleaning up the signal

– Mechanical vibration
– Electrical noise
– 60 hertz hum
• Analog low pass filters
• Dual slop analog to digital converter
• WAVERSAVER®
• Key Controller Specifications

– Nonlinearity: +/-0.01% of span
• Negligible for small weight changes
– Temp Effect on Zero +/-0.0027 % of span per
ºF
• Negligible with auto zero or tare
– Temp Effect on Output +/-0.0027 % of span
per ºF
• Important
• Worst Case Accuracy

• Lets compute the worst-case weighing
error for a set of load cells and a weight
controller in a gain-in-weight batching
system, with little or no mechanical or
environmental effects
– Lets say the controller is located next to the
vessel

– Load Cells
• Three 200 lb cells in tension
• Total capacity 600 lb
– Dead load 100 lb
– Live load 400 lb
• Total load 500 lb
– Temperature
• 20ºF change between seasonal calibrations

– Specs to use for this batching application
• Non-linearity
– Negated since batching is sequence of partial
weighments
• Non-repeatability (LN)
• Load cell & instrument temperature effect on
output (LT & IT)

– Formula for computing the worst-case total
error
– [ (IT)2 + (LN)2 + (LT)2 ]1/2

– Instrument temperature effect on output
IT= (% of span /ºF X total capacity X temp
change)2
(0.000027/ºF X 600 lb X 20ºF)2
(0.3240 lb)2
0.104976 lb2
Worst Case Accuracy

Load cell non-repeatability
LN=(% of rated output X total capacity)2
( 0.0001 X 600 lb )2
(0.060 lb)2
0.0036 lb2
Worst Case Accuracy

Load cell temperature effect on output
LT=(% of Load /ºF X total load X temp
change)2
(0.000008 /ºF X 500 lb X 20 ºF)2
(0.080 lb)2
0.0064 lb2

– [ (IT)2 + (LN)2 + (LT)2 ]1/2
– [0.104976 lb2 + 0.0036 lb2 + 0.0064 lb2]1/2
– (0.114976 lb2)1/2
– 0.33908 lb = 0.34 lb worst-case total error
– Note: The majority of this error is Instrument
related. If the Instrument where moved to a
constant temperature location it would not be
a factor.

– [ (LN)2 + (LT)2 ]1/2
– [0.0036 lb2 + 0.0064 lb2]1/2
– (0.01 lb2)1/2
– 0.1 lb worst-case total error
– Note: Down from 0.34 lb just by moving the
instrument
• How accurate will my weighing system be?

• You must understand…
– Specifications of the components
– Factors that can effect their operation
How accurate will my weighing system be?

• Specifications of the components
– Quality weighing components have impressive
worst cast specifications
– Actual performance is typically much better
– General rule select components with
accuracies better than the desired accuracy
How accurate will my weighing system be?

• Factors that effect operation
– Environmental forces
– How are you weighing? Filling, Dispensing
– Pay close attention to how you install and operate
your system to prevent mechanical forces and
electrical noise from reducing your weighing
accuracy
Common Causes of Random Scale Errors Impact of a bind
0.4
x On the weight
e display
0.3
Find the problems, don’t mask deg % Error

x 0 0
0.2 them with a re-calibration! 1 0.0152
x
2 0.0609
0.1 3 0.1317
x Slope [%] 4 0.2434
x 5 0.3805
1 2 3 4 5
degrees
Error = weight x % Error
3.805 lb = 1000 lb x 0.003805
For more information on installations,

components and accuracy visit our us at
BOOTH 700
Or our web site @
WWW.HARDYINSTRUMENTS.COM
Contact us at
1-800-821-5831

Optimize Your Process Weighing Accuracy

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Optimize Your Process

Choose The Right

• Load Points, Load Sensors & Load Cells

• Load Cell Accuracy

• Use Non-linearity spec for Accuracy if

• Use Hysteresis spec for Accuracy if

• Temperature change effect

• Transmission of the load to the cell

• External vessel piping

• Interference with Signal Transmission

• Electrical noise RFI and EMI

• Electrical noise RFI and EMI

• Instrumentation and Control

• Cleaning up the signal

• Key Controller Specifications

• Worst Case Accuracy

• Worst Case Accuracy

• Worst Case Accuracy

• Worst Case Accuracy

– [ (IT)2 + (LN)2 + (LT)2 ]1/2

• Worst Case Accuracy

Worst Case Accuracy

Worst Case Accuracy

• Worst Case Accuracy

• Worst Case Accuracy

• How accurate will my weighing system be?

How accurate will my weighing system be?

How accurate will my weighing system be?

Find the problems, don’t mask deg % Error

For more information on installations,

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