Thompson Scale Develops New
Intermediate Checkweigher Design

(November 2, 2004) HOUSTON, TX – Thompson Scale Company, a leader in checkweighing systems, packaging machinery controls, and custom production scales, announced today the release of the new 4693i Intermediate Package Checkweighers. These checkweighers provide quick and accurate weighments to effectively provide quality control in production facilities over a wide variety of industries.

The 4693i Intermediate Checkweigher is designed for the institutional and packaged food manufacturing, specialty chemical, and corrosive or caustic product industries. It weighs products from 0.5 kg to 50 kg with conveyor speeds in excess of 250 feet per minute. The checkweigher offers production rates of up to 60 units per minute with accuracies up to +/- 10 grams on small package weights.

This unique checkweigher features a new toolless conveyor belt quick-release system for fast and thorough cleaning of the checkweigher. The user can easily loosen two knobs and lift the hinged top up for access inside the unit. This allows operators to remove the belt, wash down or clean the equipment, and quickly replace the belt without worries of belt alignment. Extended downtime due to re-lacing or adjusting the belt tension is also eliminated.

The 4693i’s all stainless steel conveyor and food-grade epoxy powder coated scale is designed to meet the demanding production needs for an easy-to-clean, low maintenance, yet highly accurate in-motion scale. This intermediate checkweigher offers wash-down rated bearings and drive components along with USDA/FDA approved belts. The flexure scale base and small diameter rollers (which make for smooth transition of product onto and off of the scale) provide a highly accurate and reliable weight each and every time.

This checkweigher is a simple, easy to use, rugged, yet highly accurate production scale. Designed for flexible and hard-to-handle products, this checkweigher weighs products of virtually any shape or size. Examples of containers are boxes, cans, bottles, rigid shrink-wrapped packages, or flexible packages. Items compatible with the 4693i include paints, adhesives, insecticides, bagged and boxed sugars, raw meats, fruits, vegetables, chemicals, fertilizers, and caustic products.

Unlike other in-motion scales, the 4693i does not require the use of photo-eyes (in most cases) to detect the presence of a package crossing the scale. This is another unique aspect of the checkweigher. This feature eliminates the costs and problems (such as downtime, unweighed product, or incomplete weigh data) that are associated with dirty or misaligned photo-eye sensors.

These versatile checkweighers are constructed of all stainless steel components and are available in various configurations to meet specific requirements: food grade (compliant applications), wash-down and corrosive applications, as well as hazardous environments up to Class I, Division 1. They also offer a wide variety of reject options as well as optional conveyors, light displays, alarms, reporting packages, communication interfaces, and Eriez® brand metal detectors.

The controllers for these checkweighers can hold 75 unique product recipes in memory and display useful information on production as each unit crosses the scale. Each controller also offers Spanish menus in full sentences for better comprehension.

The 4693i Checkweigher is available now. For more information, call 713/932-9071 or visit our website at http://www.thompsonscale.com/chkw4693i.htm.

Thompson Scale Company

Thompson Scale Company is a leading manufacturer of weighing systems and packaging machinery controls. Thompson Scale has provided the manufacturing industry with highly accurate and reliable weighing solutions for over 30 years. Products include in-motion checkweighers, universal filler controllers, remote digital displays, inline rejector conveyors, and filling machinery upgrades. The company offers quality equipment with training and service in support of all products. Thompson Scale systems are made in the USA and sold to manufacturing facilities around the world.

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