Multihead Weigher Machine

Multihead Weigher Machine

A multihead weigher machine, also known as a combination weigher or combination scale, is weighing equipment with fast measurement speed & high accuracy.

The working principle of such an industrial multihead weigher is based on combined weighing, mathematical combination calculation is essential in the weighing process.

It combines multiple weight hoppers’ measurements to get many results, these results are both close to the target weight.

Then, it confirms the final result among the candidates, and the final result is closest to the target weight.

The combination mulithead weigher is popular in food packaging, medicine, chemical, and other industries, and is quite suitable for weighing granular items (irregular shapes & uneven weight), such as candies, frozen seafood, chocolates, seeds, etc.

According to the weighing hoppers’ qty, multi weigher could be divided into 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 20, 24, and 32 head types, each weighing hopper is a separate scale with a load cell sensor.

Diagram

With reference to the following schematic diagram, you could understand the multi head weigher parts clearly.

Multi head weighers usually consist of multiple weighing units, each weighing unit includes a storage hopper & a weigh hopper, and a microcomputer controls the storage hopper & weigh hopper.

Workflow

To better understand the combination weigher’s working process, please refer to the following workflow diagram.

Material Feeding

1st, the bucket elevator transports the material to the infeed funnel, then the main vibrator pan vibrates the material to each linear vibrator pan.

By adjusting the infeed funnel’s height, you are able to adjust the material thickness on each linear vibrator pan.

The material thickness affects the weighing speed & accuracy.

If the material is too thick, it will affect the accuracy;

And if the material is too thin, it will affect the speed.

Dosing & Weighing

After the material enters each linear vibrator pan, the linear vibrator pan feeds it to the storage hopper.

The storage hopper awaits command to release material, which usually arrives after the weight hopper has completed its last weighing cycle.

Combination Calculation

Read the weight of each weighing hopper, combine them according to the target weight, get many qualified combinations, then select a combination that is closest to the target weight.

Discharging

The head weigher finally discharges the weighed materials to downstream equipment.

4 types of discharging are optional:

• Direct Discharging

The multi head scale directly drops the materials from the discharge funnel.

• Timing Hopper Discharging

After the materials fall from the lower discharge funnel, they first enter the timing hopper.

Then, the timing hopper releases the materials to the downstream equipment.

Such discharging concentrates the material, and shortens the time for materials to fall to downstream equipment.

• Timing Hopper Distribution

The materials fall into the timing hopper first, then according to the two downstream equipment’s signal, the head weigher releases the materials to one piece of equipment.

This discharging takes advantage of the combination weigher’s high-speed feature.

• Timing Hopper Screening

If unqualified materials exist, the waste discharge motor automatically starts to remove them, and discharge them to the recycle port.

In this way, unqualified products have no chance to move on to the next process.

Benefits

The head weigher has developed rapidly since its appearance in 1972, which is mainly due to its following features.

High Weighing Accuracy

The computer combination weigher guarantees the weighing accuracy through the following 3 aspects.

• Two Sampling Sessions

For example, the certain 4 weighing units’ combination result is most suitable, but the multi head combination weigher does not immediately release the materials, it samples their weight data for the 2nd time.

Only if these two sampling results are the same, the weighing hoppers could receive a release signal.

Otherwise, the multi head combination weigher will perform the combination again, ensuring the weighing accuracy.

• Leftover Cleanup

During the weighing process, there will always be leftovers in the hopper.

With leftovers, the next weighing result is definitely higher than the actual weight.

So, when discharging the material, the multi head counting weigher will open the hoppers several times, ensuring no leftovers in the hoppers.

• Auto Zeroing

Whatsmore, the automatic multihead weigher has the auto zeroing function, auto zeroing ensures the next weighing is precise.

Fast Weighing Speed

A computerized system controls the entire weighing process.

When a signal comes in, the computerized system takes the corresponding computing, then sends out the signal to facilitate the subsequent actions.

The stepping motor could accurately control the weighing hopper’s opening/closing size & speed.

Save Labor & Raw Materials

Compared with general digital scales, multihead weighing machines could save labor & raw materials.

For example, a candy factory (or pistachio, 4g/piece), 200g/bag, 16 working hours a day (2 shifts), 300 working days a year, and an annual output of 3400 tons.

According to the comparison, 10 head multihead weigher VS 5 general digital scales, the former could save 8 labor & 53.56 tons of raw materials a year.

Dutch Client Case

On Jun 23, 2021, a Dutch client sent us an inquiry.

He requested us to customize a combination weigher packing machine, for packaging 250-1000 grams of seeds per dropping.

Such a machine should integrate a vertical cartoner & a digital multi head weigher.

SiroSilo has strong customization & integration ability, if you plan to purchase a head weigher or multihead weigher packing machine, please send us an inquiry on this site, or directly contact us via Email or WhatsApp.

Email: info@sirosilo.com

WhatsApp: +8617312124727

Multihead Weigher Machine Ultimate FAQ Guide

Multihead Weigher Working Principle

The multihead weigher working principle could be summarized by the 4 steps of material feeding, storing, weighing, and discharging.

When multihead weighing machines are working, they carry out the 4 steps below cyclically.

• Feeding

The bucket elevator transports & concentrates the materials to the main vibration plate, then the main vibration plate feeds the materials to the linear vibration plate.

• Storing

The linear vibration plate dumps the materials into each storage hopper, the storage hopper stocks the materials for a while.

• Weighing

The stepping motor starts to work, it opens the storage hopper, and the storage hopper sends the materials to the weighing hopper.

According to each weighing hopper’s weight, the control system starts combination calculation, selects the best combination, and issues a discharge signal.

• Discharging

The discharge signal drives the stepping motor to open the selected weighing hoppers, the material falls into the chute, and then into the timing hopper.

If there is no timing hopper, it will directly enter the downstream packaging machinery.

How does a Multi-head Weigher Calculate Combinations?

The multi-head weigher first appeared in the 1970s, its weighing principle originates from the permutation & combination algorithm in mathematics.

At present, the 10 head weigher and 14 head multi head combination weigher are the most popular in the world.

Now, take a 10 head weigher as an example, let’s figure out the multihead weigher algorithm.

Suppose that the material weights (in grams) in the weighing hoppers from No. 1 to No. 10 are as follows:

• 28.5
• 25.5
• 31.9
• 38.7
• 20.0
• 20.5
• 33.3
• 36.0
• 24.0
• 19.1

The target weight is 100±0.5.

From the above value, we could find:

No. 1 (28.5) + No. 3 (31.9) + No. 6 (20.5) + No. 10 (19.1) = 100 grams.

Adding several weighing hoppers’ weights, the result is equal to the target weight of 100±0.5 grams.

By combination calculation in this way, the combination weigher realizes precise weighing each cycle.

What’s more, the computer combination weigher adopts a high-performance weight sampling & data processing chip, the whole weighing time is about 0.7s, and the weighing is also quick enough.

Multihead Weigher Speed

Due to the high accuracy and fast weighing speed, customers choose multi-head scales.

Currently, the weighing speed of multi-head scales in China is generally 70 times per minute, but the more heads, the faster the weighing speed.

Please refer to the following head qty. & weighing speed comparison list:

• 10 heads: 70 times per minute
• 14 heads: 120 times per minute
• 16 heads: 65-100 times per minute
• 20 & 24 heads: 65-100 times per minute

Types of Multihead Weigher

Multi-head scales have many “heads”, which are actually “weighing hoppers”.

In the food packaging industry, they are usually classified according to the number of weighing hoppers and are divided into 4, 10, 14, 16, 20, 24, 32 heads, etc.

4 Head

The 4 head weigher has a compact footprint and many small food plants could afford it.

Our SiroSIlo 4 head linear multihead weigher introduces a new high-integration modular control system, which could feed materials quickly and save time; it adopts a stepless vibrator feeding system to make materials more uniform.

This dosing equipment is suitable for quantitative weighing of uniform powdery and small granular materials such as chicken essence, coffee, milk powder, monosodium glutamate, rice, salt, seasoning powder, seeds, sesame, sugar, etc.

It could weigh a variety of different materials at the same time, mixing multihead weighing is available.

Currently, our SiroSilo 4 head linear combination weigher has 3/5/7.5/12L hoppers for you to choose from, and you could choose the suitable capacity according to your target weight.

10 Head

The 10 head multihead weigher is a high-precision industrial weighing system, it contains 10 weighing hoppers controlled by a microcomputer, and the food industry widely uses it for precise weighing.

The precise weighing of the following foods realizes on 10 head weigher:

• Banana Chips
• Candy
• Corn Snack
• Melon Seeds
• Jelly
• Frozen Seafood
• Potato Chips
• Pet Food
• Plantain Chips
• Puffed Food
• Pistachios
• Peanuts
• Nuts
• Almonds
• Raisins
• ……

For the precision weighing of granular, flake, strip, round, and irregular shape items such as big shell nuts, hardware, plastic pellets, etc., a 10 head weigher is also capable of finishing it.

14 Head

The 14 head weigher is also a high-precision industrial scale, a microcomputer controls it.

This industrial weighing machine contains 14 storage hoppers & 14 weighing hoppers, it weighs faster than the 10 head multihead weigher.

Like the 10 head multihead weigher, the 14 head weigher is also suitable for precision weighing of snack foods, irregular-shaped nuts, hardware, plastic particles, plant seeds, etc.

16 Head

The maximum weighing speed of the 16 head multi weigher could reach 100 times/min, the single weighing range is 10g-200g, and the weighing accuracy is 0.5g.

It is suitable for weighing granular materials with good fluidity, such as seeds, soybeans, coffee beans, chocolate beans, nuts, almonds, peanuts, melon seeds, dumplings, meatballs, noodles, etc.

20 Head

The 20 head combination scale is suitable for high-speed weighing of a single material or mixed weighing of multiple materials.

The acceptable maximum material length is 60mm, and the acceptable maximum material weight is 60g, such as instant oatmeal and mixed nuts.

Its single material high-speed weighing could reach 100 times/min, and its speed of mixed weighing of multiple materials could reach 65 times/min.

24 Head

The 24 head combination scale is mainly used for mixed weighing of three or four kinds of materials, and the single weighing range is 5g-240g.

Granular and flake materials with good fluidity such as raisins, potato chips, and candies could be weighed by this type of industrial weighing machine, the weighing error is less than or equal to 0.5g.

32 Head

The 32 head combination scale could operate in high-speed mode when weighing a single material, and it could also be used for mixed weighing of two-in-one, three-in-one, and four-in-one formulas.

There are customers in China who use this combination scale to weigh tea, Chinese herbal medicine, monosodium glutamate (MSG), etc.

Hot Sale Combination Scale

Detergent Multihead Weighers

Many people think that detergent is a powder and should be weighed with a screw metering pump.

However, when the detergent is rotated and lifted by the screw, the friction between the screw and the detergent will generate heat, and the detergent will melt after being heated and block the screw, so the detergent is suitable for weighing with a linear multihead weigher or a combination scale.

However, there may be a problem of material leakage during the measurement of the combination scale, and a combination scale with a leak-proof hopper must be purchased.

The most suitable equipment for the precise weighing of detergent is a linear weigher.

Hardware Multihead Weighers

SiroSilo has customized hardware multi-head scales for different customers, such as 70mm long screws.

At that time, the customer chose a 10-head combination scale with a 1.6L hopper capacity. The video below shows the machine testing effect.

For this type of hardware, the length of a single piece should not exceed 80mm, and the weight of a single piece should not exceed 100g. The weighing speed of the 10 head weigher is 65 times per minute, and the weighing speed of the 14 head multihead weigher is 120 times per minute.

Multihead Weigher for Vegetable Salad

Vegetable salad is a very popular food abroad, and there are many foreign customers who purchase salad multi-head weighers from SiroSilo every year.

After the vegetable salad is weighed by a multi head scale, it enters the VFFS machine for bagging;

Or into premade pouch bagger for packaging.

There is also a customer who introduced a multihead weigher for salad boxes.

After the salad enters the plastic box, it will go through a flow wrapping machine to complete the final packaging.

Seafood Multihead Weighers

Because seafood is easy to deteriorate, they are usually packaged quickly, frozen and stored, and then sent to consumers through cold chain logistics.

For this reason, the seafood weighing process must fully consider the weighing speed, seafood fragility, salt corrosion, low-temperature environment, hygienic conditions, etc.

Based on the above factors, the multi-head scale is an excellent choice for seafood weighing.

The weighing speed of the multi-head scale is fast. After customizing the food-grade 304 or 316 stainless steel frame, the hygienic condition is good, and there is no problem with corrosion resistance and low-temperature resistance.

As for the fragility of seafood, because the energy generated by the vibration of the vibrating plate is relatively small, seafood will not break up.

Look at the frozen shrimp multi-head scale below, which is located next to the cold storage.

After being weighed by the multi-head scale, the shrimp enters the plastic box, and after being inspected by the workers, it is directly sent to the cold storage by the conveyor belt.

Best Multihead Weigher

There is no doubt that Ishida Co., Ltd., founded in 1893, offers the best multihead scales in the world – after all, this company is the inventor of the multihead scale.

Multihead Weigher Spare Parts

The multi head weigher parts are marked out in the following photo, please check it for reference.

Multihead Weigher Bucket

The multihead weigher’s bucket is also called a hopper, as shown in the photo below.

The bucket on the multi head combination weigher mainly includes a storage hopper & a weighing hopper.

The storage hopper continuously feeds materials to the weighing hopper cyclically, ensuring fast weighing.

Multi Head Weigher Platform

As there is always a VFFS machine underneath the multihead scale, a support platform or gantry is needed to hold the multihead scale, while still freeing up space underneath the platform for the VFFS machine to be placed.

The following photo marks out the platform.

Multihead Weigher HS Code

The HS code of the multi weigher found on the official website of China Customs is 8423301010.

Multi Head Weigher Manufacturers

As the food industry has a large demand for multi head weighing machines, combination weigher factories are all over the world.

The figure below lists the top multihead weigher suppliers globally.

By browsing their websites, you could get cutting-edge information about multihead weighing technology & related machines.

Multihead Weigher China

China also has many multihead weigher manufacturers, which are concentrated in the developed Pearl River Delta & Yangtze River Delta regions.

SiroSilo is one of China’s professional multi weigher manufacturers.

SiroSilo’s third-generation multi head scales have a two-year warranty, the following photo displays its attractive features:

If you plan to purchase a multi head scale in the near future, you are welcome to send an inquiry on this website, or contact us via the following Email/WhatsApp.

Email: info@sirosilo.com

WhatsApp: +8617312124727

We also welcome you to visit our factory or video call with us, we could lively broadcast our factory to you.

Multihead Weigher Price

In the Chinese market, some manufacturers produce high-quality combination weighers, 2 years warranty & a high price;

Some manufacturers supply multi head scales of normal quality, a 1-year warranty, and the price is relatively lower.

The picture below shows the multi weigher reference price in the Chinese market, you could refer to it when purchasing multi weighers from China.

Multi-head Weighing Machines Market

In 2017, the global multi-head weighing machine market volume reached 203.2 million U.S. dollars, this value will increase to 291.65 million by 2027 according to evaluation.

Regarding the current multi-head weighing machine market, the food industry occupies more than 80% of the share.

Grains, seeds, ready-to-eat foods, fresh produce, candy, snacks, meat, poultry, seafood, etc., multi-head weigher weighs them in many food & beverage factories;

Pharmaceutical, chemical, hardware, spare parts, and other industries introduce multi head scales for weighing too.

The 14 head weigher has become a hot-selling product in the global market, its weighing accuracy & speed improves greatly.

As the multi head scale technology upgrades continuously, and the food industry’s product categories continuously enrich, the multi head weighing machine’s future market is still very broad.

Multi Head Weigher Manual

We will include the hard copy multi head weigher manual in the packaging wooden box before shipment.

For the digital version, we will share it with you via email or WhatsApp, you could contact us first, then offer your email address or WhatsApp ID.

Email: info@sirosilo.com

WhatsApp: +8617312124727

Multihead Weigher Troubleshooting

As the multihead scale with self-diagnostic function, the fault alarm will appear on the touch screen.

You could compare the alarm information on the touch screen with the product manual to troubleshoot, and you could also contact the multi-head scale manufacturer immediately to request after-sales service.

The manufacturer will arrange a dedicated after-sales service representative to serve you one-on-one until the problem is solved.

Multihead Weigher Packing Machine

Multihead packing machine is a fully automatic packaging machine integrated with precision weighing equipment.

Generally, the multi head packing machine includes the following equipment:

• Vibration Feeder
• Z Conveyor
• Multi Weigher
• Working Platform
• Vertical Pouch Packing Machine
• Outfeed Conveyor
• Rotary Collecting Table

With reference to the following video, you could better understand the multihead weigher packing process.

Multi head weigher packing machine has a wide range of applications, it is suitable for packing jellies, nuts, biscuits, frozen foods, grains, seeds, salad vegetables, etc.