Time-efficient weighing in a production process

A management module of a processor for managing the time necessary for a scale, in a production process, to weigh a set of ingredients and/or components, wherein the management module is configured, to perform for each ingredient of the set the following:

• obtain an expected weight value for the ingredient and a weighing tolerance for the ingredient;
• determine, for the scale, a readability parameter according to the weighing tolerance, wherein the readability parameter is a scale setting that defines a weighing accuracy for a minimum weight out of a set of readability parameters, wherein determining the readability parameter scale setting involves using at least the following steps:
• determining an optimal readability parameter based on the weighting tolerance of the expected ingredient weight and a reduction by a safety factor that is a reduction multiplier to bias borderline weight value into increased accuracy settings;
• obtaining a readability set of available readability values for the scale;
• and
• if the optimal readability parameter is less than the highest available readability values of the readability set, setting the readability parameter to the highest available readability value of the readability set that is less than or equal to the optimal readability parameter;
• and
• if the optimal readability parameter is greater than or equal to the highest available readability values of the readability set, setting the readability parameter to the highest available readability values of the set;
• and
• using the management module to configure the scale according to the determined readability parameter setting for the ingredient before weighing the ingredient.

A weighing system, incorporated into a production process, defined by a plan for weighing ingredients, the weighing system comprising:

• a weighing scale having a weighing module;
• a configuration module adapted to automatically change the interval of the scale measuring accuracy to a setting of a readability parameter from a set of readability parameters;
• an interface;
• and
• a terminal, where the terminal comprises:
• a display adapted to present information related to the production process;
• a user interface adapted to allow an operator to enter, consult and/or modify information related to the production process;
• and
• a management module, coupled to the terminal and the interface, and further comprising a processing module configured, according to the predetermined order, the following steps:
• obtain, for the ingredient to be weighed, an expected weight for the ingredient and a weighing tolerance, from a local memory or from the user interface;
• determine a readability parameter for the weighing scale according to the weighing tolerance, wherein the readability parameter relates to a lowest level by which a weight can be read by the scale, where the readability parameter value is dimensioned in units of minimum weight, where determining the setting of the scale's readability parameter value from the set of readable parameter sets involving using at least the steps of determining an optimal readability parameter based on the weighting tolerance and a reduction by a safety factor that is a reduction multiplier to bias borderline weight values into increased accuracy settings and selecting a readability parameter setting from a readability set of available readability values for the scale;
• such that:
• if the optimal readability parameter is less than the highest available readability values of the readability set, setting the readability parameter to the highest available readability value of the readability set that is less than or equal to the optimal readability parameter;
• and
• if the optimal readability parameter is greater than or equal to the highest available readability values of the readability set, setting the readability parameter to the highest available readability values of the set;
• and
• where the configuration module automatically configures the weighing scale to the determined readability parameter setting of the ingredient before weighing the ingredient.