The Key to Maintaining Customers Trust Precise Weighing Ensures Consistent Quality

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1 Manufacturing Industrial Weighing and Measuring 19 News The Key to Maintaining Customers Trust Precise Weighing Ensures Consistent Quality Trust takes years to build and seconds to break. Weight-based quality control is one way to help you meet your customers expectations and maintain their confidence as a trusted supplier. In B2B companies, the relationship between customer and supplier is sensitive. Customers have high expectations for their suppliers and a small mistake can lead to broken trust, reputational damage or business losses. There has never been more training, news or tips available for companies to learn about the importance of a successful customersupplier relationship. How to keep your customers trust Experience shows that repeatable processes, flawless quality, on-time delivery, ongoing price reductions and exceptional customer service are most important. It s not an easy task to accomplish because quality control is possibly the most critical factor when it comes to keeping customers satisfied. Is one missing screw the crucial factor? Of course, you aim to deliver high-quality products. That includes the right product in the exact quantity and according to specifications. Precise, timely deliveries are crucial when providing supplies to customers with just-in-time production. Checking quality by weighing is a simple way to ensure customers get the right quantity of product every time. It also makes sure that each part is manufactured without defect and that assemblies are complete as specified.

2 Customer Trust There are several tools that can be used to detect production errors and to perform quality checks, including smart cameras, X-ray inspection systems and weighing technology. Each system provides advantages for special demands. Comparing completeness check systems Especially when producing small parts or complex components, weighing technology is the safest and most reliable option for carrying out completeness checks of packages, orders or single products. Also, the differentiation of cavities and the tiniest material deviations can be detected and controlled. A camera system can also perform the same task, but only at low speed and when marks are viewable. The handling of reflective parts disrupts both camera and X-ray inspection systems, whereas the right scale can detect even the lightest parts, such as small foils. The integration of a scale into a process requires very little work. In comparison to the demanding installation requirements for camera and X-ray systems, the required investment for a scale is moderate. Why the smallest parts matter So how precise is a scale? Imagine assembling an engine and adding the exact amount of lubricant. An engine weighing more than 100 kilograms may need Manufacturing processes with zero errors Ensure repeatable processes with exact counts. Provide on-time deliveries & complete shipments. Incoming goods Production Assembly Piece counting of incoming goods Verify if the quantity of incoming parts is according to specifications. Reduce your working time up to 30% with efficient piece counting. Lightweight parts counting Count the lightest parts down to piece weights of g or a reference weight of 0.05 g. Additionally, batch-count the smallest parts in high numbers accurately. Scale-assisted assembly Use piece counting to guarantee exact just-in-time parts supply to workstations. Piece counting enables you to keep track of your parts production output and can generate an ERP system entry. 2 METTLER TOLEDO Manufacturing News 19

3 exactly 0.2 grams of oil. Each drop of lubricant is important, in order to ensure that there is no risk of part malfunctions. The smallest weights or parts can have a high impact on your production process. A missing part in an assembly or package could cause a production stoppage at your customer s facility, which could also lead to costly returns or recalls. Weighing can check all this in a split second. Strict requirements for manufacturers Besides providing high quality and avoiding costs, speed counts in today s competitive environment. Therefore, manufacturers not only must deliver accuracy but also need to shorten lead times. Quality checks have the potential to slow down production. Highprecision scales can detect the small- est deviations at high speeds, delivering consistent results and allowing you to achieve 100 percent quality control that does not sacrifice lead time. `` Verify Order commissioning Distribution Quality checks of parts Control quality by checkweighing components. Check molded plastic or sinter metal pieces to detect cavities with weighing. Use colorweight to easily visualize quality status. Order picking Ensure quality when commissioning orders for error-free processes and packaging. Save up to 5,000 customized articles in your scale database. Totalizing Totalizing is quality control while packaging. The scale counts the number of products, or checks for product completeness. Simultaneously, the scale counts up to the number of correct results to the predefined target and informs the operator when the package count is reached. METTLER TOLEDO Manufacturing News 19 3

4 Accurate Counting How to Always Deliver Accurate Counts Referencing Matters Read how three factors influence exact weighing results. Find out why referencing is the key to exact counting and satisfied customers. Counting accurately and efficiently can be a challenge. When counting parts, no matter the size, number or weight, incorrect results can lead to the loss of reputation, customers and money. Errors occur because various factors influence results and lead to incorrect order fulfillment. Read about the most significant factors and how you can mitigate their influence on your process quality and why a high-precision reference scale can help you deliver accurate quantities from the start. 4 METTLER TOLEDO Manufacturing News 19

5 Issue 1: Deviation problems Piece-weight deviation is one of the most frequent sources of errors in piece counting. The larger the standard deviation of the piece weight, the larger the counting error in subsequent batch counting. Even highly standardized mass-produced parts vary in weight within their specifications. Solution: Limit the impact of piece deviation Determine the Average Piece Weight (APW) by weighing samples to profile the critical parts and their standard deviation. To determine the APW, the scale records the reference weight and divides it by the number of reference parts. The scale that weighs the reference must be as accurate as possible. Choose a high resolution scale because even the slightest deviations can affect your profits. We recommend repeating this operation at various intervals, especially when changes are made to raw materials or when the machine is retooled. Issue 2: Human error All manual operations are prone to errors. These errors may have a significant impact on piece counting accuracy. For example, hand-counting sample pieces may result in inaccurate numbers. Solution: Be conscious of human errors Reduce the impact of human error by using Automatic Reference Optimization. You can take the variable sample size and hand-count 5 or 10 pieces to determine the APW. Increase the APW accuracy by adding a few more pieces, and the function will automatically recalculate. If your parts vary over time, the scale can adapt the APW over time automatically with every new weighing operation. This unique feature keeps the APW up to date and reduces counting errors without any human involvement. Issue 3: Environmental influences The workplace environment may significantly influence counting accuracy. For optimum results, an environment must be as free from vibrations or drafts as possible. Solution: Be sensitive to your surroundings Place referencing scales in safe environments to avoid vibrations or drafts that may influence the referencing process. Ideally, the counting scale should be installed close to the machine to reduce walking time. The referencing scale the most important tool for counting accuracy should be placed externally. The data can be distributed via Wi-Fi, Ethernet or USB to all scales on the shop floor. The ideal reference scale for parts manufacturing Invest in a high-precision scale to weigh referencing samples and prevent errors during subsequent counting operations. The ICS425 is the ideal scale for referencing. You can even weigh the smallest parts of grams. Discover how it can benefit your business METTLER TOLEDO Manufacturing News 19 5

6 Ease of Integration Safety Assured Airbag Systems Rely on Weighing In airbag production, accurate filling of propellant tablets is essential for correct deployment in case of an accident. TRW Automotive, a leading global supplier of safety systems for the automotive industry relies on high-precision weigh modules for its propellant dosing applications. Dosing Device for Tablets Weigh Module Suspension for Dosing-Container Below Weigh Module Tablets Feeder Dosing-Container for Tablets Open / Close Infeed Device TRW Automotive is one of the world s largest automotive suppliers. The company has business relations with more than 40 major vehicle manufacturers and provides equipment for approximately 250 different vehicle models. The leading company in the field of vehicle safety produces advanced brake, steering, suspension, and passenger protection systems. TRW is also one of the leading global companies in the design, development, and production of gas generators for the entire range of airbag systems. In an accident, the airbag has to deploy extremely fast to ensure the safety of passengers. This is achieved through a special propellant in form of tablets. The smallest tablets weigh a couple of milligrams, the largest up to 200 milligrams. The uniformity of the tablets in terms of their composition, weight and shape is one of the requirements for safe and reliable airbag function. Ultimately, the propellant tablet must be placed in the gas generator of an airbag using precise weighing-technology methods. Below-the-balance load transmission TRW uses the high-precision WMS204 weigh modules from METTLER TOLEDO to place the tablets in the generators. TRW engineers chose this weigh module because it is both precise and can be easily integrated into the machine mechanically and electrically. The below-the-balance weighing device makes it possible to suspend the dispensing container underneath the weigh module. This provides the advantage of allowing the tablets to flow into the gas generator through the simple and compact dispenser using the weight of the tablets themselves. Airbag with Gas Generator Dual chamber pyro gas generator for deployment of the airbag. TRW is able to forgo a handling mechanism for transporting the tablets from the weighing pan to the gas generator. 6 METTLER TOLEDO Manufacturing News 19

7 Easy electrical installation The weigh module is electrically connected via the ConBlock and Profibus DP module from METTLER TOLEDO to the programmable logic controller (PLC). The ConBlock module offers permanent service access, which allows online analysis of the data exchange between the weigh module and the PLC. Service access also makes it possible to configure and optimize the weigh module even while operations are running via APW-Link software. The connection runs from the ConBlock module to the Profibus DP fieldbus module. Thanks to automatic parameter detection and the integrated interface command set for weighing technology, the system is very easy to put into operation. Simple integration TRW engineers developed and built a device for placing the correctly sized tablets in the gas generator themselves. The ease of integrating the WMS weigh module thanks to Con- Block, the fieldbus module and the ergonomic APW-Link configuration software made their task significantly less complicated. The high precision of the weigh module, combined with fast data transmission, provides more consistent quantity and allows for high throughput in the production process. Learn More WMS weigh modules Models ranging from 120 g to 6,200 g Readability: 0.1 mg 10 mg Stabilization time: seconds Stainless steel housing Integrated calibration weight as option IP54 protection, IP66 protection for cleaning Learn more about METTLER TOLEDO Manufacturing News 19 7

8 Accurate Counting Solutions Getting Package Contents Right Every Time Built-in Quality for Precision Components When customers demand first-rate goods, businesses must build quality control into their processes. The market leader for hydraulic fittings uses weighing to check the quality of incoming materials and outgoing goods. Swabia, a region of Southern Germany, is known worldwide for its highly skilled engineers and precise products. The region is home to many highly specialized world-market leaders. Volz Group, a Swabian standout with more than 90 years experience in the hydraulic fittings industry, operates according to justin-time production and packaging standards and regulations. Volz supplies tube couplings and connectors to the hydraulic industry and balls to the ball-valve industry. High-precision weighing Using the PFK9 floor scale, Volz checks all incoming materials to ensure that their quality standards are met. Additionally, Volz uses counting scales to guarantee that customers receive the exact amount of product ordered. To ensure each package does not exceed 10 kilograms, they use the ICS465 to count to target for each order. The ICS465 is easy to use and simple to read, with its colorweight indicator that uses colors to notify the operator at a glance whether the weight is within specification. When Volz provides customers with the precise amount of goods they expect, it saves the business money by avoiding overfilling and When high-precision counting is crucial, the PBA757 scale platform and ICS465 terminal guarantee excellent results. 8 METTLER TOLEDO Manufacturing News 19

9 facilitates exact production calculations to prevent process variations. Relying on the experts Volz has relied on METTLER TOLEDO scales for many years. As we have high expectations to deliver high-quality products to our customers, we demand the same outcome from our quality control tools, says Dejan Milutinovic, application engineer at Volz Group. METTLER TOLEDO scales not only are easy to use for our employees, but they also help us achieve the best and most reliable results. `` Free Download Exact counts for your specific workplace Use counting scales throughout your processes Solutions for all stages from material receiving to logistics and shipping We help you determine which solutions meet your needs best Free download Volz manufactures high-precision balls for the ball-valve industry. METTLER TOLEDO Manufacturing News 19 9

10 New Weighing Platform PBA757 High Accuracy with Quick Payback Designed for Metal, Plastic and Electronic Parts The new PBA757 weighing platform is designed for robust and reliable weighing within a manufacturing environment. Its robust lever system and proven accuracy make it the perfect tool for counting or quality check applications in the metal, plastic and electronics industry. High accuracy with fast ROI `` Equipped with the proven METTLER TOLEDO strain gauge weighing module, you receive accurate weighing results. For example, the 60 kg platform offers a readability of 1 gram. This high level of accuracy is available in an economic price range. Fast weighing results The PBA757 facilitates fast weighing results and is the reliable counting scale to speed up your processes. It is also suitable for use with conveyor belts. Various applications The PBA757 is the ideal counting solution for: Lightweight, bulk part counting Package filling and totalizing End-of-line completeness or quality checks 10 METTLER TOLEDO Manufacturing News 19

11 Robust design and reliable performance The robust lever system is made for typical manufacturing work environments. The rugged design can handle rough use of the platform. You will receive stable and reliable weighing results with excellent corner- and side-load stability. Easy handling The terminal is equipped with easy-to-read icons. Ergonomic, robust keys allow for comfortable and fast handling. All applications can be customized with product descriptions, operator number or colored result indication. Various sizes and terminal options The weighing platforms are available in three sizes to fit your needs. According to the sizes, the weighing capacity will adapt to your needs. Weighing capacity is from 60 to 300 kg. Three different terminals offer you simple to advanced operations. METTLER TOLEDO Manufacturing News 19 11

12 5 Tricks to Optimize Calibration Reliable Results in Challenging Conditions Regular calibration is essential if your equipment operates continuously in industrial environments and is critical to your processes: Regular equipment checks ensure maximum uptime Regular calibration leads to stable quality and accurate results Calibration keeps precision devices accurate Extend the life of your scales Increase the efficiency of your equipment Download the checklist 5 steps to optimize calibration leads METTLER TOLEDO Group Industrial Division Local contact: For more information Subject to technical changes 02/2018 METTLER TOLEDO. All rights reserved Document No MarCom Industrial