Thermo Scientific weighs in with updated checkweigher range

The Versa checkweigher line upgrades include conveyor design, frame, load cell, reject mechanism, motor and mounting.

The firm said it designed the modifications to improve weighing accuracy which helps boost profits by minimizing product giveaway.

Less time to do more work​

Rick Cash, product manager, checkweighers at Thermo Fisher Scientific, said its product philosophy is to listen to customers, service, and manufacturing staff and incorporate changes into the product line after exhaustive design, review and testing.

“Like other checkweighers we have produced for the last 50 years, we continue to provide support for the entire life span of the equipment as it was originally sold​,” he told FoodProductionDaily.  

“However, customers can upgrade to select new software and hardware improvements.​

“I think we live in a manufacturing environment where our customers have less time to do more work.  ​

“Checkweighers should be tools to make our customers jobs easier, and these improvements are targeted to this purpose. ​

“Our new metal remote feature allows simultaneous product changeover on our metal detector/checkweigher combo systems when the product is changed on the checkweigher, for example.” ​

For combination checkweigher/metal detector systems, optional software provides metal detector reject information on the checkweigher screen.

The last Versa machine launched a year ago, the Versa Teorema, was a slide weigh table checkweigher for cans only with rates to 660 cans per minute. 

Global VersaWeigh and Global Versa GP are powered weigh table systems launched in August 2007 and the updates incorporate improvements identified over the last eight years.

Trade show appearance​

Thermo Fisher Scientific is showcasing it at ProPack 2015 in Shanghai, July 15-17.

“It is no secret that a significant portion of world packaging machinery sales growth will occur in Asia over the next five to 10 years​,” said Cash.

“We manufacture the Global VersaWeigh in three continents: Europe (Italy), Americas (USA), and Asia (China).  Showcasing at Propack highlights the global reach of the product line.”​

The line is available in two models: the fixed-height Thermo Scientific Global VersaWeigh and the cantilevered Global Versa GP, which allows height adjustment. 

Global VersaWeigh is for products up to 10 kilograms (22 pounds), while the Global Versa GP model targets up to 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds).

Global Versaweigh and Global Versa GP can be run up to 120 meters/min (393 feet/min) and are Measuring Instrument Directive (MID) rated to 72 meters/min (236 feet/min).

The machines can have belt widths of 140, 200, 300, and 400mm.

Pack length capability depends on speed, package type and weight and handling requirements. 

Maximum weigh table length is 800mm and the minimum is 200mm. Practical package weight range is 25g (approx 1 oz) to 10kg (22 lbs).

Versa checkweighers are for wet or dry environments and can handle a wide range of package sizes.

Screen language options include: Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Dutch, English (UK and US versions), French, German, Italian, Latvian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Slovenian, Spanish and Turkish.