Used in Australia's largest wine-growing region: HBM's universal Z6 load cell

High humidity of the processed material and, at the same time, high temperatures: The Australian company Accuweigh relies on weighing technology from HBM for the difficult conditions of a compost plant.

The town of Singleton is located just 200 km north-west of the metropolis of Sydney with millions of inhabitants and its famous opera house. Founded in 1820 by Benjamin Singleton, it is one of Australia's oldest towns and its mix of modern and historical architecture adds to its unique character. Singleton is near the Hunter Valley - Australia's largest wine-growing region. Dozens of vineyards - ranging from large companies operating on a national basis to small family businesses - grow Syrah, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. The region is renowned for its unique Sémillon which particularly flourishes in the Hunter Valley's micro-climate. The landscape is characterized by heat and dryness as well as heavy rains during the vegetation and harvest period.

Singleton has about 13,000 inhabitants and is shaped by its coal-fired power station and, above all, by the landscape and wine growing in the region.
Gromor Enterprises, a company located in Singleton and producing compost for soil improvement sees to the rapid and, nonetheless, organic growth of the plants. A dynamic checkweigher guarantees that customers are always provided with the correct quantity of compost.

Use at Gromor Enterprises places special demands on weighing equipment: The high humidity of the processed material (compost has a very high water-holding capacity) and, accordingly, the high relative humidity and high temperatures were too much for the previously used test equipment - a total failure. Accuweigh, a company founded in 1992 in Adelaide, capital of the Australian State of South Australia, was entrusted with replacing the equipment. With over 65 employees and several offices all over Australia, Accuweigh offers its customers high-quality products as well as professional services and complete solutions.

After close scrutiny and assessment of on-site conditions, it became obvious that only high-quality weighing technology would be able to comply with these requirements. Therefore, Accuweigh decided to use HBM weighing equipment.

They decided to use legal-for-trade Z6 load cells, providing C3 accuracy and a maximum capacity of 100 kg (220.46lb). In addition to its excellent measurement accuracy, the Z6's rugged design was crucial to this decision. Jason Allen, Industrial Sales at Accuweigh’s Newcastle branch: "The stainless-steel design and IP68 degree of protection with hermetic sealing were the principal reasons for our decision. In addition, the Z6's interference-proof six-wire circuit has been especially important to us, because the distance to the measuring instrument amounts to over 30 meters. The majority of compatible load cells do not provide any circuit including a sense lead that effectively eliminates the effects of cables."

The Z6 load cell is available with the maximum capacity used by Accuweigh and, in addition, for 5 kg (11.02lb) up to 1 t. Four different accuracy classes are available: D1, C3, C4 and C6. The wide range of potential applications also includes platform scales and use in weighing modules for tank weighing. An ATEX version of the Z6 load cell is optionally available to enable use in potentially explosive atmospheres. Cutting-edge manufacturing ensures easy installation of all versions. The Singleton project is only one example.

"Installing the Z6 was very easy, because all fastening points were located at the same point as with previously used load cells." This is how Craig McGaw, Senior technician, describes the project. And Jason Allen is convinced: He would use Z6 load cells again for future projects with similar requirements. "The high quality of Z6 makes them the ideal choice for this application."