Categoria: Packaging
What is the difference between a volumetric and a gravimetric weigher?
Every manufacturer striving for maximum production efficiency knows that every gram matters. That is why, in automated packaging, understanding the difference between volumetric and gravimetric weighers is essential.
Choosing the right industrial weigher ensures that your product consistently meets the required quality standards, complies with technical specifications, and minimizes product waste.
In this article, you’ll learn how each type works and which one is best suited to your production needs.
How do industrial weighers work?
Industrial weighers are responsible for measuring and dispensing the exact amount of product to be filled into the primary package.
However, a model designed for granular products, such as flour, will not deliver the same performance when dosing irregular products, such as snack foods.
This is why each application requires a specific type of weigher. For this reason, industrial weighers are divided into two main technologies: gravimetric and volumetric.
Gravimetric weigher
A gravimetric weigher operates based on gravity and the actual mass (weight) of the product.
It uses weighing scales and load cells to continuously monitor and calibrate the exact weight of each discharge.
The main advantage of this system is its ability to compensate for environmental changes or variations in product compaction, delivering exceptional weighing accuracy.
Gravimetric weighing solutions are divided into two main categories:
Continuous weight monitoring |
Combination weighing (Multihead weigher) |
| Dispenses the entire product portion using a single weighing scale. | Distributes the product across multiple weighing heads (typically 10 or 14). |
| The system controls the product flow based on the exact difference between the target weight and the current weight. | The algorithm analyzes the weight in each hopper and combines three or more of them to reach the programmed target weight, releasing the product quickly. |
| The weighing buckets can be fed by a vibratory feeder, controlled flow channel, conveyor belt, or auger screw. | Recommended for applications that require higher speeds combined with outstanding accuracy. |
Volumetric weigher
Unlike the previous system, the volumetric weigher dispenses product by measuring the space (volume) occupied by the product, rather than its actual weight.
This system assumes that the product’s density remains constant throughout the production process.
Volumetric weighers are widely recognized for their:
- Excellent cost-effectiveness;
- Mechanical simplicity;
- High operating speed.
Volumetric weighing systems are divided into two main technologies:
Auger weigher (Screw feeder) |
Cup weigher |
| The product fills the empty spaces between the flights of the auger. | Dispenses the product using cups or containers with adjustable volumes. |
| The final dispensed volume is determined by the auger’s diameter, pitch, and the exact number of revolutions it completes. | As the weigher rotates, the cups are filled, and the cup size ensures consistent dosing and an approximate target weight in every cycle. |
Comparison table: volumetric vs. gravimetric weighers
To make your purchasing decision easier and clearly highlight the differences, we’ve summarized the main features, advantages, and applications of each technology in the table below:
| Comparison Criteria: | Volumetric weigher | Gravimetric weigher |
| Operating principle | The dispensing volume is determined by the relationship between the desired weight and the product’s density. | Operating Principle: The final volume is achieved by dispensing the product through weighing scales that share weighing data with one another. |
| Accuracy | Good accuracy (depends on product density remaining stable). | Extremely high accuracy (unaffected by density variations). |
| Cycle speed | Generally very high and consistent. | High speed (especially with combination weighing systems). |
| Product characteristics | Ideal for homogeneous and stable products. | Ideal for irregular, premium, or heterogeneous products. |
| Common Applications | Powdered products (milk powder, coffee, chocolate drink powder, flour), uniform grains (flour, oats), seeds, snack foods, and ice. | Sugar, powdered detergent, shoestring potatoes, biscuits, frozen foods (cheese bread, vegetables), granulated products, and pet food. |
| Indumak models | DG (single cup), CG, CR, CGS (4 to 6 cups), FP-1000 (vertical auger), and Ice Weigher. | FG4-P and FG6-G (flow channels), Multihead Weigher (10 or 14 heads), CL, DB-15/25, and DBE-15. |
Which Weigher Should You Choose?
Understanding the difference between a gravimetric and a volumetric weigher is the first step toward making more informed decisions for your production line.
However, the right choice also depends on other factors, such as the physical properties of the product and your business’s profit margin objectives.
The most widely recommended approach is:
Choose a volumetric weigher
If you’re looking for a cost-effective solution, a volumetric weigher is an excellent choice.
Its main advantage is its ability to handle products with uniform particle size and consistent density, ensuring reliable performance and high productivity.
It is recommended for grains, refined products, and ground products.
Choose a gravimetric weigher
A gravimetric weigher is primarily used for products with irregular particle sizes, although it can also be used for products with uniform particle sizes. It is the ideal choice for applications that require maximum weighing accuracy.
With this type of weigher, the product is weighed before it is packaged, ensuring greater reliability.
It is recommended for frozen foods, grains, refined products, and many other applications.
Discover Indumak’s weighing and packaging technology
Indumak is a market leader in packaging, bundling, and product handling solutions.
Our equipment is designed according to the highest engineering standards, helping your operation achieve maximum efficiency, reduce costs, and increase daily productivity.
Whether you need high-performance volumetric technology or the precision of gravimetric systems, Indumak offers the right solution for your industry.
Looking to improve your factory’s productivity and choose the ideal industrial weigher for your product?
Browse our packaging solutions catalog and bring greater accuracy to your operation.
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