FC6300 Formula Control Scale Video Overview

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What would it be like to be in total control? Imagine saving at least 2.1% of your yearly ingredient costs. What would that be worth to you? Picture having an extra supervisor watching over your employees’ shoulders monitoring and controlling the formulation process. What effect would that have on your product consistency and production efficiency? Well actually the Doran FC6300 Formula Control System puts you in total control and can pay for itself in four months or less!

Field-Proven Ingredient Savings
In today’s competitive marketplace, reducing production costs is a sure path to greater profits. Doran’s Formula Control has been guiding production plants along that path with ingredient savings of at least 2.1%—even more. Combine lower ingredient costs with the elimination of the money wasted on bad batches, and you can understand why successful companies are investing in the FC6300 Formula Control System.

Take a look at the savings one company experienced with the FC6300. This plant realized that improving the performance of their formula scaling could lead to a significant impact on profitability. Additionally they were averaging one bad batch a week due to errors that were traced back to the scaling process. They turned to Doran Scales to reduce costs from wasted ingredients and bad batches—the solution was the FC6300 Formula Control System. Return on investment due to ingredient cost savings was achieved in just four months, and the net one-year effect on profit margin was $27,068.71. It’s no wonder that plant managers at this company’s other location suddenly became interested in the FC6300 Formula Control System.

Consistent Batches—Guaranteed!
Reduction of ingredient costs is easy to see, but the costs associated with bad batches are often overlooked. Like a dripping faucet, those bad batches can gradually drain your plant’s profits. Production downtime to clean production lines and discard the bad batch, along with cost of wasted ingredients, can add up. Our field studies show that bad batches cost a company $837 per incident. With guaranteed consistent batches, your plant will run more efficiently, adding to your profitably.

Because the system prompts the user through the formula, the correct ingredients are accurately scaled every time. Each ingredient of the formula is weighed within a tolerance that you define. The color-coded Accu-Track display on the bright LCD screen ensures that added ingredients are within those tolerances. Each step of the formula is clearly labeled with batch ID, batch name, the step number, ingredient name, target weight, and actual weight. Accurate scaling can be achieved with or without experienced production employees.

Ensures Employee Accountability
Formula Loader is a standard component of the FC6300 Formula Control system. This Windows™-compatible software is used to configure formulas as well as to provide production reports. Standard Formula Loader reports can be used to evaluate scale operator efficiency and ingredient usage. Using scale operator ID’s, the FC6300 tracks when a user logs in and out of the scale. Management can easily determine how long the scale operators are taking to prepare each formula and how accurately it was done. It’s like having the plant manager watching over your employees’ shoulders 24/7.

For more information on this exciting product from Doran, please fill out our request form on the website with your particular requirements and specifications.

Weight Tolerances

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Recently, I was informed of a situation that involved a digital infant scale and a “test weight” also known as a 5 pound consumer barbell weight. Apparently, the barbell weight was used to check the digital scale and it was thought that the scale had not been calibrated correctly due to a scale readout of 5.2 lbs.

Actually, consumer barbell weights like those used in the above scenario are manufactured to tolerances between +/-1% and +/-7%, a significant range of tolerance as compared to NIST certified test weights. Using a consumer barbell weight with a wider manufacturing accepted tolerance than the scale may result in a scale display reading that seems inaccurate. A +/-5% tolerance on a 5 pound consumer barbell weight means the weight can weigh from 4.75 lb to 5.25 lb and still be sold as a 5 pound weight. Compare that to a 5 pound NIST Class F weight which is manufactured and adjusted to within +/-230 mg tolerance. In the example above, the user contesting the calibration accuracy of the digital scale checked their consumer barbell weight again, this time on a certified Legal for Trade scale and found that it weighed 5.2 pounds, meaning the digital scale was correct.

We recommend using NIST certified Class F Sealed manufactured test weights in most applications to check or calibrate medical scales and industrial scales.

Truck Scale Spring Maintenance Is Important!

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Summer will be here before you know it and if you haven’t had your truck scale tested and inspected lately now is the time. The changing of the seasons brings us warm weather, but it also brings running water to truck scale pits and foundations. If left unmaintained, the mud and debris can wreak havoc on truck scale operations and accuracy. We recommend completing the following steps to ensure your scale is up and running in time for the busy summer season. You, the scale owner, can actually do quite a few of the steps below.

Take a walk around the perimeter of your scale. Examine the entire deck, scale pit, foundation and approaches for any major structural or surface problems. If you see any foundation deterioration be sure to fix it right away. Any deck and approach repair is not merely cosmetic; those issues can have a negative effect on the scales performance. Flaking rust and crumbling concrete falling into the pit will add maintenance costs now, but in the future they will reduce the scales’ usefulness.

We’ve been servicing truck scales for a long time and the most common cause of incorrect weighments is debris under the scale (or in the pit) binding movement. Clean all dirt from each component. Remember, even though most scales these days are electronic, they still have moving parts underneath. Load cells still need to be able to deflect through their capacity range.

To cut down on any future debris problems, it’s a good idea to invest in flexible T-Grip or T-Strip rubber molding. These moldings, while being flexible enough to work with the movement of the scale, will keep debris from causing problems and eventual damage to the scale. Depending on the scale design, the molding might only be necessary to cover the end gaps where the trucks enter and exit the scale. Scales weighing open trucks or messy operations will also need side molding to protect against spillage falling into the pit. Continue reading →

Cardinal Scale S2WIFI Provides Weatherproof Wireless Ethernet Scale Indicator

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Cardinal Scale’s S2WIFI connects to IEEE 802.11b/g wireless local area networks (wireless LAN) and allows you to wirelessly send data from weight indicators to existing networks, remote displays, printers, laptops, PCs, tablets, and smart phones. The robust S2WIFI allows you to utilize Cardinal’s extensive library of mobile apps for smart phones and tablets, such as Pathway and RemoteWeigh. The S2WIFI converts serial to a Wi-Fi signal and supplies wireless Ethernet for any Cardinal Scale indicator. It may be added to an existing network or you can create a stand-alone network.

•Cardinal quality and technical support
•Watertight, weatherproof enclosure
•Easy Web browser configuration
•Supplies wireless Ethernet for any indicator
•Compact, fully-enclosed module
•Network configuration recall
•Appears as a wireless access point
•Polycarbonate box with clear-smoke cover
•No external power needed
•Easily connects to an existing network

The S2WIFI cable’s serial connector easily plugs into the main board on Cardinal model 205, 210, and 225 indicators and SB250/SB500 remote displays. For the 825 and 201 indicators, you will need to remove the connector and connect the red and black wires (for power) directly into the main board. Four communication status LEDs allow you to quickly identify power, link connection, transmit/receive, and reset to the factory default. The S2WIFI doesn’t require any batteries or an AC adapter, since all power is supplied by the indicator. Contact the sales team at Central Carolina Scale for price information.

Scale Calibration Frequency: How Often Should I Calibrate my Digital Scale?

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We’ve actually covered the subject of how often to calibrate a scale before but it’s always a good idea to remind customers just how important the accuracy of their scales can be. We get this question fairly often so today with the help of Doran Scales we’ll take another look at why it’s important to have your scales calibrated on a regular basis by a trained scale technician.

What is the value of the product to be weighed on the scale?
If the product being weighed is very expensive, there is value in regular and periodic inspection and calibration. For example if the product costs $10 a pound and on an average day 1,000 pounds of product is weighed on the scale, the total value is $10,000. Let’s assume the scale is out of tolerance by 0.5%; that discrepancy would be $50 per day, $250 per week, and $1,000 per month. Obviously, eliminating this error would save a tremendous amount of money and more than pay for the calibration services.

Is it a legal-for-trade application?
If you buy or sell product based upon weight using your scale, it will need to be inspected and certified by the State or local Weights and Measures Department at the time of or shortly after installation. If a scale is tested and found to be out of tolerance or if products in the field are found to not meet the stated weight, Weights and Measure can condemn the scales so that they cannot be used until recalibrated, and literally shut your production down.

How many weighments per day and at what % of scale capacity?
Generally speaking, with time and use scales can start to lose accuracy. It may be a tiny error but over months and years it can grow to unacceptable levels. Think of it in these terms: when you buy a new car, you can expect that the wheel alignment will be exactly accurate. When this same car has 75,000 or 100,000 miles on it, the wheel alignment may need to be adjusted due to normal wear and tear. The same idea is true with your scale. Regular calibration of heavily used scales will correct any accuracy errors that will normally occur with this type of use.

Are the scales frequently moved around in your facility or from one location to another?
Doran scales are designed to be portable, in the sense that they do not require a permanent installation location. However, many times when scales are moved, they are handled incorrectly, resulting in damage that can affect the calibration and accuracy of the unit. If your scales are constantly being moved around in your facility or moved from one location to another, regular calibration will help keep them accurate and reveal any damage that may have occurred when they have been moved.

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So You’re Looking For A Stretch Wrap Machine With Scale?

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Probably not a month goes by that we don’t get a call or email from someone looking for a stretch wrap machine with scale built in. At one time we did try to offer a few really nice large scale solutions to our warehouse customers but in many cases it can be more cost effective to just use one of our platform scales instead.

In the past, we have seen some customers purchase a Pennsylvania Scale 4′ x 8′ floor scale with 10,000 lb capacity and utilize it for stretch wrapping. We’ve also seen customers buy floor scales in a variety of sizes from 48″ x 48″ or 60″ x 60″ and place some type of turntable on top. Then, they manually wrap the pallet as the turntable spins around. Of course, the entire time the floor scale is underneath and digital weight indicator displays the weight. We have a great selection of floor scales from names like Avery Weigh-Tronix, Brecknell, B-Tek, Cardinal, Digi, and Rice Lake Weighing Systems.

The point of this write up is to mention that there are options available for stretch wrapping your pallets while obtaining an accurate weight reading, if you’re not looking to spend $5,000 or $10,000 for a sophisticated stretch wrap machine with built in scale.

Professional Scale for Fishing Tournament Weigh-In’s

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We have been actively providing digital scales for fishing tournaments and clubs for over a decade. During this time period, we’ve learned a few things about this segment of our customer base regarding price and quality. It is imperative that you don’t just settle when it comes to scales. After all, the weigh-in portion of your fishing tournament is kind of important don’t you think?  The good news is there are some pretty good digital scales available that don’t cost a fortune. Let’s take a look at one below.

weigh master digital fishing tournament weigh-in scale

The Weigh Master is a very nice scale system that we feel will work quite well for most clubs. The standard size of the weighing platform is 12″ x 14″ and the capacity of the scale is 60 x 0.01 lbs. The column that connects the digital indicator to the weighing platform comes standard but you can choose to not use it if you wish. The LCD digital display is easy to read and the indicator has several weight lock functions that you can fine tune to perfection. The scale is powered by standard 110 VAC power or an internal rechargeable battery. The RS232 serial port is ideal for connecting the scale to a remote display or printer. Overall, we think this is a nice choice for many clubs who aren’t able to spend pro tournament kind of money but want a good reliable system for their club or tourney.

In our review of the Weigh Master, the biggest drawback of the scale is that it doesn’t display weight in ounces. So, if you must use ounces you might want to consider the Doran 7000XL or 8000XL which are great Stainless Steel Wash Down scales.

Overall, we recommend the Weighmaster scale if you’re looking for a quality scale that is accurate, affordable and built to last. Please contact us 919-776-7737 or visit our contact page and fill out the request for quote.

Common Applications for Peak Hold Feature In Digital Scales

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In today’s entry we would like to discuss the peak hold function. It’s a popular topic since we are usually asked about this capability at least every week or so. In these examples we will focus primarily on the Doran Scale product line. The Excel Series 2200, 2200CW, 4300, 7000XL, 7400, and 8000XL scales from Doran represent a scale line that you can rely on to fill a wide variety of weighing applications. From a battery powered 2200CW checkweigh scale for a food manufacturer, to an 8000XL series scale with a wireless Ethernet option for a seafood company, the flexibility of the Excel Series scales can help you achieve accurate results time after time. The Peak Hold feature is another example of how the Excel Series from Doran provides value added weighing solutions.

Doran 2200CW stainless steel checkweigher

Customers Using Peak Hold 
Many industries use Peak Hold in their quality control process. Peak Hold is when weight or force is applied to determine the highest amount of force a product can withstand. Maintaining a consistent specification in production results in cost savings, increased safety, and minimizes exposure to product liability litigation. Peak Hold allows for maximum sensitivity and accurate weight or force readings too quick for the eye to see and because it is digitally held, a displayed peak value will not decay or drift. Continue reading →

Restaurant Owners: Portion Control Is Very Important To Keeping Your Ingredient Costs Under Control

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If you are in the restaurant business then you understand how much your ingredients like cheese really cost, since you purchase them from your suppliers on a regular basis. Think about this for a second… Let’s say you’re making your best selling pizza or your most popular sandwich. What if you could cut back on your most expensive ingredient by just a smidgen. Actually, a better way to say it would be — what if you could develop a consistent way to add your ingredients so that every large pizza had exactly eight ounces of cheese or six ounces of pepperoni. The results would hopefully lead to more profitability and a consistent product your patrons could enjoy each and every visit.

This outstanding must read article that is referenced below goes into great detail about portion control and why it’s so important to a company’s bottom line.

“You can have the best pizza in the world. But you can lose your shirt if you’re not careful,” he said. “If you ain’t weighing it, you are winging it.” While many operators habitually weigh dough balls, nothing provides a pizza operator with more margin/cost control than weighing their cheese portions.

…. it’s important to keep cheat sheets for employees to remind them how much cheese to use, and even have the cheese pre-weighed in cups for them. This allows an operator to ensure consistency and to know the cost of every single pizza. The difference, for example, of 7 ounces and 10 ounces of cheese can be 60 cents per pizza. He also suggested adding a weighing scale that is easy for employees to use. Training and incentivizing is important for employees, who may free throw either through habit or to save time.

…. At the end of those 30 days, the concept saved about 200 pounds of cheese totaling $1,200, which was then split between the four employees as a bonus.

I like how the author wrote this article since it’s always great to see real world examples. As you can see from reading the entire article, your business can really benefit by adding some type of weighing functionality into your kitchen. Not only does this help control costs but it should also help restuarants increase their consistency. How many times have you gone to a restaurant and had one pizza with too much cheese or too little sauce, then you go back a couple weeks later and it’s the opposite problem. Customers love a consistent sandwhich or entrée (just ask my in-laws).

If you need some guidance on choosing the correct scale for your restaurant or prep kitchen please contact our sales department at 919 776-7737 or visit our site centralcarolinascale.com which has many scales posted for you to view. We also have a Youtube channel that shows a few of our scales in video format.

Body fat analysis scales provide many vital features to proper weight management and healthier body

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Healthcare professionals across the world use Detecto’s body fat analysis scales to measure their patients’ nutritional health. These reliable, digital doctor scales measure body fat, bone mass, muscle mass, and and body water percentages. They also calculate a Body Mass Index (BMI) measurement. Choose “Normal” mode or “Athlete” mode to ensure reliable weighing and analysis for all patients. Select body fat scale models also include a digital or mechanical height rod. Optional stainless steel wall-mount grab bars are available for patients who need additional support.

DETECTO’s ProDoc PD350 series body fat analysis scales host many powerful features that are vital to proper weight management and crafting a healthier body.

DETECTO’s PD350 series offers medical-grade accuracy and durability built for long life spans in high-traffic fitness centers, corporate or hotel gyms, nutritionist’s offices, and clinical facilities. The PD350 series is available with digital or mechanical height rods and an optional P50 thermal tape printer.

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