- Product can be metered either by volume or by weight
- Volumetric devices include metering units, augers, and vibratory or belt conveyors
- Weighing devices include weigh belts or hoppers on load cells
- Product conditions such as shape or size, whole or sliced, wet or dry, sticky or free flowing must be considered in choosing a solution
- High value products might warrant the precise measurement of weighing while lower value products may only be able to cost justify volumetric accuracy
Meter
As everyone agrees, maintaining a metered flow of product does more to enhance the accuracy of a process than any other attribute. In some cases the metering function is the entire purpose of the exercise, such as in preparing a recipe by measuring (or metering) its ingredients. Depending on the application and product condition Commercial Manufacturing offers several means to meter product.