What Is a Hopper Scale?
A Hopper Scale is a device used to accurately weigh a variety of powdered or granulated materials.
Hopper Scales have a weighing scale and a receiving pan to hold the material. The material is placed in the receiving pan and weighed accurately by the scale.
Hopper means “inlet” or “receptacle“, and scale means “weighing scale”. In other words, a Hopper Scale is a device that combines a container for storing materials and a scale.
It is mainly used as a weighing instrument in industrial facilities and automatically measures the material in the hopper. By weighing materials evenly, the quality of products can be kept constant. Also, since a large amount of material can be weighed at once, it improves work efficiency.
Uses of Hopper Scales
Hopper Scales are used to weigh raw materials in a variety of industries. The following are just a few examples of hopper scale applications:
1. Beer Brewing
Used to accurately weigh malt. The taste, color, and other qualities of the beer can be adjusted by adding the right amount of malt. Also, uniform and accurate weighing of malt results in a consistent brewing process.
2. Bread Making
Used to accurately weigh ingredients such as flour, sugar, salt, and spices. Accurate weighing of ingredients allows adjustment of the flavor and texture of the bread. It also helps to stabilize the quality of the dough by feeding the ingredients in a uniform mixture.
3. Mining Industry
Used to weigh ores, for example, in the ore trade. Ores in industry often amount to several hundred tons and require automatic measurement. Hopper Scales are used by sellers and buyers to confirm the volume of ore traded.
It is also used for ore crushing. Uniform feeding of ore stabilizes the crushing process and improves quality.
4. Chemical Industry
Used to accurately weigh raw materials in the manufacture of carbon black, rubber, etc. Uniform feeding of raw materials improves product quality and performance. Accurate weighing of raw materials also prevents the use of unnecessary materials and reduces costs.
Principle of Hopper Scales
Hopper Scales use gravity to weigh materials. The receptacle for the material is mounted on a fixed beam. The beam is equipped with several measuring devices called load cells, which measure the weight in the scale.
The load cells are equipped with strain gauges, which measure the weight in the scale based on the resistance value generated by the strain caused by the added weight of raw materials. Hopper Scales are generally equipped with a digital display.
This display numerically indicates the weight of the material. The weighing range and accuracy vary depending on the hopper scale model. Hopper Scales are available in five measurement methods: quantitative, actual, net calculation, cumulative, and discharge weighing. The method used depends on the purpose.
Types of Hopper Scales
Hopper Scales are available in mechanical and electronic types, depending on the measurement method. They have a variety of connection methods and can automatically share weighing data with other devices.
1. Mechanical Type
Mechanical Hopper Scales use a spring to measure weight. Since the amount of elastic deformation of the spring is measured by manually turning a knob, this type of scale is not suitable when accurate weighing is required. Also, since excess material can be fed in over the set value, weighing accuracy may be reduced depending on the operator’s skill.
2. Electronic Type
Electronic Hopper Scales use load cells to accurately weigh material. It has a built-in digital display and features a weighing range and high weighing accuracy. They are widely used because they are easy to handle and highly accurate.