VEGA Americas WeighTrac 31 Provides Reliable Measurement for Materials on the Move

By
VEGA Americas, Inc
Reliable measurement for materials on the move
When it comes to cementitious materials, there’s a lot riding on conveyor belts. Users count on conveyors to effectively feed bulk aggregates to and from production processes. A reliable belt-weighing scale system and accurate mass flow rate ensures smooth, efficient plant operation. The WeighTrac 31 keeps material moving.

VEGA Americas WeighTrac 31

How it works
The WeighTrac 31 uses radiation to measure mass flow. A radiometric sensor consists of a sealed radioactive source in a source holder and a scintillation detector mounted on opposite sides of the conveyor. In some applications, the source is mounted above and the detector is mounted below, while in other applications the detector is mounted above and the source below. In either case, a fan-shaped, collimated radiation beam transmits from the source through the process material and the conveyor to the detector.

When the total mass per square foot on the belt or screw conveyor changes, the amount of radiation reaching the detector changes inversely. The greater the mass on the belt, the lower the radiation field at the detector. Conversely, the lower the mass on the belt, the higher the radiation field at the detector. The amount of radiation seen at the detector is thus inversely proportional to the amount of material on the conveyor, and this value is translated into an output signal from the detector.

Practical Application
Radiometric weight measurement works best with consistent medium-to-heavy loads and with conveyors from about 0.5 to 3.0 meters wide. Installation is relatively simple as the instrument is usually supplied with a frame that mounts directly to the conveyor. The WeighTrac 31 can be mounted on inclined conveyors without affecting measurement, and it can be relocated with minimal effort.

Radiometric mass flow measurement technology has proven very reliable because it operates without touching the material. Non-contact measurement systems like the WeighTrac 31 are nearly invulnerable to the vibration common to conveying applications, and radiometric measurement is unaffected by temperatures up to 140° F (60° C). Electronics are typically built into the instrument to compensate for additional variables such as belt or screw speed, and to convert the measurement into a total weight or a weight-per-time period output.

Summary
Radiometric measurement devices like the WeighTrac 31 provide an extremely stable mass flow solution with little required maintenance. Measurement precision is about ±1%, and accuracy is unaffected by process conditions such as dust, corrosion, and temperature changes. By and large, users can set it and forget it when it comes to the WeighTrac 31. The non-contact device provides a solid state measurement, greatly reducing required maintenance over other mass flow measurements.


Request For Additional Information:
    VEGA Americas, Inc Author
    3877 Mason Research Parkway, Mason OH 45036 USA
    web
    https://www.vega.com
    email
    americas@vega.com
    call
    1-513-272-0131
    follow me
    No Tab Selected

    For over 60 years, VEGA Americas, Inc. has provided industry-leading products for the measurement of level, density, weight, and pressure. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, VEGA Americas combines manufacturing, distribution, and service for products that represent the most sophisticated process measurement technologies anywhere in the world. VEGA Americas is a wholly-owned subsidiary of VEGA Grieshaber KG of Schiltach, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. A family-owned company, VEGA employs over 1,500 people worldwide, 250 of which are with VEGA Americas. VEGA understands the benefit of investing in community and employees, because it is people that make the difference in achieving success. This success transfers to the solutions we provide to customers.

    Our full product line of level, density, weight, and pressure measurement solutions allows us to provide one of the most complete ranges of measurement solutions in the industry. We are proud to apply our products and solutions to serve a wide variety of industries, including energy, petrochemical, chemical, oil and gas, pulp and paper, pharmaceutical, mining, plastics, food and beverage, bulk solids, and water and wastewater.

    We believe that future of instrumentation lies in the ability to produce high quality, innovative products that keep pace with technology, and provide service and value to our customers.