C31 StandardLine Checkweigher
Affordable checkweigher ideally suited to replace spot checks with 100% inline weight control. The easy to use system offers reliable performance for food and non-food applications in dry and wet environments.
Producing a diverse range of generic prescription topical and injectable pharmaceuticals, Teligent has built their success on a culture of quality. To automate inspection on their high-throughput tube line, they turned to METTLER TOLEDO and selected a customized XS1 checkweigher with a two-lane configuration that matches their dual-lane filler. Detecting and rejecting under- and over-filled tubes, this checkweigher helps Teligent ensure final product quality and provides data to improve yields.
“METTLER TOLEDO modified their standard one-lane XS1 to meet our line requirements, designing two lanes with a weigh cell under each one. By complementing our duallane filler, the machines were easy to integrate,” said Mike Bertonazzi, Packaging Supervisor. “This checkweigher handles our high speeds in a small footprint with phenomenal accuracy.”
The XS1 is capable of achieving an accuracy of +/- 20 mg with a throughput of up to 400 packages per minute by using advanced electromagnetic force restoration (EMFR) weigh cells, instead of common strain gauge load cells. “We have very high standards at Teligent, and the accuracy of this checkweigher helps us meet those standards,” said Ehor Andrasz, Packaging Mechanic. “Laminate tubes don’t seal properly if they are overfilled, so we reject overfills as well as underfills. The system has two reject devices, one for each lane. We segregate rejected packages, which helps us ensure final product quality.”
Designed to handle small, lightweight packages of valuable products that weigh 200 g or less, the XS1 was installed at Teligent in 2015 to assist in automation. The line fills lotions, ointments and gels, primarily regulated pharmaceuticals for private label customers, into metal, plastic or laminate tubes ranging in size from 2 to 30g.
“Because our METTLER TOLEDO checkweigher captures real-time data, it enables us to be more proactive in monitoring fill weights, which helps improve our yields. The display is like an odometer that shows when tube weights are drifting,” explained Bertonazzi. “If there’s a fluctuation outside the target weight zone, we’re alerted in real time and can quickly make adjustments to the filler.”