Weighing Solutions for the Food Industry
Food processors weigh portions, meat on hooks and rails, prepacks and recipe ingredients, and each task needs its own equipment. A practical WPL set-up combines BPS or SSP stainless steel scales, a BGH hook scale or overhead rail scale, the WPL1050 weighing and labelling station, and WeightControl software for ℮ mark checks and recipes.
What food processors weigh and why
Food processors weigh to price goods, to state the correct net quantity on every pack, to keep recipes consistent and to trace each batch. WPL Industries, established in 1994, builds weighing equipment and software for these tasks.
| Task | Where | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Portioning, trimming and bench work | Processing floor, packing tables | Yield, portion weights, crate weights |
| Meat on hooks and monorails | Slaughter and cutting lines, chillers | Payment by weight, yield per animal |
| Weighing and labelling prepacks | Packing line, dispatch | Net weight, price and mandatory label data |
| Net quantity checks | Quality control station | Control of fill weights under the ℮ mark rules |
| Recipe weighing | Kitchen, mixing room | Consistent composition, batch records |
WPL builds both static and dynamic (in-line) weighing solutions; for in-line weighing on a conveyor, ask WPL about the options for your line.
Stainless steel food industry scales for the processing floor
For bench work in wet areas, WPL supplies the BPS and SSP stainless steel platform scales, used with a separate indicator.
- BPS: built entirely in stainless steel with IP65 protection. The open, laser-cut housing lets water drain away, the modular design fits different workstations, and capacities run from 3 to 150 kg. The indicator can be mounted on the scale with or without a column.
- SSP: a compact bench platform with a stainless steel single point load cell (IP66), four platform sizes from 300×250 to 600×450 mm and capacities from 1.5 to 60 kg. Rubber protection around the load cell damps vibration.
- R10 weighing indicator: an AISI 316 stainless steel housing with up to 50 presets for checkweighing with under limit, target and over limit.
A verified version (EU M marking) of the BPS, SSP and R10 is available as an option; NAWI and MID explained covers when that applies. Capacity and readability helps you choose the weighing range.
Weighing meat on hooks and overhead rails
Hanging meat is weighed where it hangs: on a hook scale at a workstation or on a scale section in the monorail.
- BGH hook scale: a wall-mounted unit in polished stainless steel that combines a weighing hook for pieces of meat with a 500×500 mm folding plate for smaller cuts. The hook sits 1150 mm above the plate, capacities are 150 and 300 kg, and an R10 indicator is optional.
- Overhead rail scale: a compact module of 482×152×86 mm with two IP68 stainless steel load cells and an AISI 304 finish. It fits into existing monorail track and mounts on the structure of cutting lines, for 150, 300, 600 or 1000 kg; special dimensions are available on request.
Store the weight of trolleys, hooks or gambrels as a tare in a preset, so each reading shows net meat weight without manual correction.
Weighing and labelling prepacked food
A prepack label combines a weighed net quantity with fixed product data, so weighing and printing belong in one step. Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 lists the mandatory particulars, including the name of the food, the list of ingredients with allergens emphasised, the net quantity and the date of minimum durability or use-by date.
The WPL App prints three kinds of labels:
- Item labels with product name, net weight or unit price, best-before or use-by date, batch number, barcode or QR code, the ℮ mark and the EC identification mark;
- Top and bottom labels with ingredients (allergens in bold), nutrition information and E numbers;
- Subtotal labels for boxes, crates and pallets, with the number of packs, total weight, article code, batch and pallet or crate number.
Shelf-life logic sets the date and batch numbers are generated automatically. The WPL1050 combines the WPL App with a 15.6-inch touchscreen that works with gloves, a Zebra ZT610 label printer and an AISI 304 stainless steel column, for scales from 1 to 1500 kg. The software is designed to support labelling under Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011; the food business remains responsible for its label content, so check the requirements for your products with your authority.
Net quantity control and recipe weighing
Packs carrying the ℮ mark must meet the average and tolerance rules of Council Directive 76/211/EEC, and the packer is responsible for controlling them. In short, the average content of a batch may not be below the nominal quantity, only a small share of packs may fall short by more than the tolerable negative error, and no pack may fall short by more than twice that error.
WeightControl SQC, a module for WeightControl Base, shows sample weighings against tolerance zones with mean and standard deviation, and stores the results as reports. See also reducing giveaway and gravimetric filling and dosing.
For sauces, spice blends and doughs, WeightControl Formula guides the operator ingredient by ingredient, shows the total and the percentage per ingredient, scales a recipe to a larger batch and exports the batch record as PDF or CSV.
Cleaning, materials and IP ratings
Scales in food areas must survive the site's cleaning routine, because Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 requires equipment that comes into contact with food to be effectively cleaned. Three checks help:
- Protection rating. Match the IP rating to the cleaning method; IP ratings explained shows what each rating is tested against. Ask WPL before using high-pressure or hot-water cleaning on any scale.
- Steel grade. Salt, brine and acidic products affect stainless steel differently; stainless steel 304, 316 and 316L compares the grades.
- Open design. Open housings that drain, such as on the BPS, keep residue from collecting under the platform.
Every WPL scale can be supplied with an EURAMET cg-18 calibration certificate as an option; EURAMET cg-18 calibration explains what it documents.
Recommended WPL set-up for food processing
A typical food plant combines the following equipment.
| Position | Task | Suggested equipment |
|---|---|---|
| Cutting and packing tables | Portions, trimmings, crates | SSP (1.5–60 kg) or BPS (3–150 kg) with R10 indicator |
| Cutting line or chiller | Meat on hooks and monorail | BGH hook scale (150 or 300 kg) or overhead rail scale (150–1000 kg) |
| End of packing line | Weighing and labelling prepacks, boxes and pallets | WPL1050 with WPL App |
| Quality control | ℮ mark sample checks | WeightControl Base with SQC |
| Mixing room | Recipe batches | WeightControl Base with Formula |
All software modules are listed under weighing software, and the scales under industrial scales. For a line that needs a special platform or integration, see custom weighing solutions, or request a quote.
Related knowledge
Questions fréquentes
Which scale suits a wet processing area?
Look at the protection rating, the steel and how water drains. The BPS is built entirely in stainless steel with IP65 protection and an open housing that lets water drain away. The SSP uses an IP66 stainless steel load cell. Tell WPL how the area is cleaned, so the rating can be matched to the cleaning method.
Does the WPL App make my labels legally compliant?
No software can do that on its own. The WPL App is designed to support labelling under Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, with fields for ingredients, allergens in bold, dates, batch numbers and the ℮ mark. The food business remains responsible for the content of each label, so check the requirements with your authority.
Can one scale weigh both hanging meat and smaller cuts?
The BGH hook scale combines a weighing hook for pieces of meat with a 500×500 mm folding plate for smaller cuts in one wall-mounted unit. It is available for 150 or 300 kg, and an R10 weighing indicator can be added as an option.
Do I need a verified scale in a food plant?
It depends on how the weights are used. Weights used to price goods or to state quantities for sale usually fall under legal metrology rules, while internal process weights often do not. A verified version is available as an option for the BPS, SSP, R10 and WPL1050. Check the rules with your national metrology authority.
Sources
Rédigé et relu par les ingénieurs pesage de WPL Industries. Le contenu technique et réglementaire est vérifié à partir des sources citées. Politique éditoriale
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