Aseptic filling systems enable packing and preserving food, without requiring heat treatment and added preservatives. To prevent the filled food from being spoiled, the filling zone must be as sterile as possible, meaning that high demands are placed on the production environment. HBM's DSE-HIE weighing electronics has been developed for this purpose.
Hygienic, dynamic, and right at the center: Requirements Weighing Electronics for the food and pharmaceutical industry should meet
The DSE sensor electronics digitizes every analog load cell and it is extremely easy and thorough to clean it. Thomas Langer, Product Manager at HBM rightly remarks: "Due to its special design, virtually no germs or dirt can deposit on the DSE’s surface.” This feature makes it ideal to be used in aseptic filling machines. "Also, the smooth surface meets the high standards for applications in the pharmaceutical industry. In this case, DSE can help to avoid cross-contamination of various active ingredients and thus improve the safety of pharmaceutical products and drugs.”
Consumers demand gently and healthily prepared food that can be stored over a long time. New technologies for the food industry, such as aseptic filling systems, allow food to be packaged almost aseptically without preservatives and heat treatment and thus, to have a shelf life of up to two years. They preserve valuable ingredients and vitamins. Hygiene is a challenge in the design of aseptic systems. To ensure that packaged foods such as milk, oils or juices do not spoil prematurely, the filling zone must be as free of micro-organisms as possible. This requires machine components, particularly easy to be cleaned thoroughly. HBM's DSE weighing electronics, designed in compliance with hygienic principles, is the ideal solution for this issue.
High Resolution, Dynamic, Hygienic: Electronics for Stringent Demands
The DSE is one of the first Industrial Ethernet-capable weighing electronics in the market that allows the most precise measurements in highly dynamic weighing tasks, as it measures 2000 values per second and has an immensely powerful measuring resolution of up to 10,000 e. Paul Zolnierek, Product Manager at HBM, explains: "DSE is designed in compliance with the guidelines provided by the European hygienic Engineering and Design Group, EHEDG for short, for hygienic machine components. This means that it can be installed as a measuring amplifier directly in hygienic systems. Very close to the load cell, ensuring short cables and particularly high signal quality.”
A distinguishing feature of the DSE is its design. The weighing electronics has no sharp corners and edges. At the same time, a free-hanging and non-contacting wiring can be implemented to prevent accumulation of dirt deposits. The surfaces are angled in such a way that the cleaning water with the dirt would quickly roll off—in any installed position. Moreover, the measuring electronics’ surface is particularly smooth with a roughness of less than 0.8µm.
Robust Weighing Electronics – For Demanding Industrial Environments
Another advantage of HBM's weighing electronics is its robust design. With its housing made of corrosion-resistant stainless steel and IP68/69K degree of protection, the weighing electronics is absolutely waterproof and can safely withstand treatment by high-pressure cleaning equipment. Thomas Langer remarks: "Even in areas where aggressive industrial chemicals such as chlorine or acetic concentrates are used, the DSE is stable over the long term.” "This is also confirmed by ECOLAB, one of the leading suppliers of industrial cleaning agents.” Furthermore, the hygienic design reduces cleaning time and the use of chemical cleaners. He further adds that "It also protects the environment."
A wide range of accessories are available for integrating the DSE into hygienic measurement applications. A special assembly set enables safe installation of the device in aseptic plant areas. Furthermore, HBM's measurement technology specialists have developed hygienic and durable wiring, especially for the DSE. Paul Zolnierek states,
"With the DSE, we offer a complete system for aseptic applications—over the entire measurement chain. The measuring electronics can be combined excellently, for example with our EHEDG-certified PW27A load cell.”
DSE Weighing Electronics: Features
Fast integration into systems for the Industrial Internet of Things
- Simple commissioning via Plug & Measure due to the stored GSD file according to the PROFINET standard
- Intuitive and fast setup, parameterization, and measurement via a web browser
- Low wiring effort due to daisy-chaining and maximum flexibility owing to two integrated Ethernet ports
Accurate results, faster processes
- Huge measurement resolution up to 10,000e
- Ideal for highly dynamic applications with up to 2,000 measurement cycles per second
- Individually configurable 5-stage filters for maximum precision and process speed
Easy cleaning, absolute hygiene
- Hygienic design in compliance with the EHEDG guideline for plants in the food and beverage industry
- Ideal for aseptic applications in the pharmaceutical industry due to its very low surface roughness of less than 0.8µm
- Hygienic accessories such as mounting set and wiring available
Robustness for industrial applications
- Suitable for use with high-pressure cleaners—waterproof and IP 68/69K degree of protection
- Resistant to aggressive cleaning agents with ECOLAB certificate
- Robust, corrosion-resistant measuring body made of high-quality stainless steel
Simply Plug in, Configure and Measure Using a Web Browser
Owing to the stored, PROFINET-compliant GSD file, the DSE is ready for use via Plug & Measure and can be intuitively configured, controlled, and read out via a web browser. The weighing electronics also offers a range of individually selectable filters. Moreover, with two integrated Ethernet ports, the new weighing electronics can be easily expanded as a daisy chain to form multi-channel measuring chains. This means the cabling effort is significantly lower and the risk of failure of measurements is significantly reduced by ring topology.
Thomas Langer remarks, "With the DSE, HBM is setting new standards in weighing technology. Irrespective of whether it's about new plants or whether it's about upgrading existing plants hygienically and for the Industrial Internet of Things.”