Flow and handling
Particle size, dust, fragility, stickiness, static, density variation and whether the product bridges or surges.
Weigh filler specialists
Multihead combination weighers for speed, accuracy and product handling.
Use this route when a single feed channel is not enough and the line needs fast, repeatable combination weighing for irregular or mixed products.
Machine route
Multihead combination weigher for faster portioning.
Multihead routes suit higher-output dry-product applications where speed, accuracy and pack presentation all matter. The shortlist should consider head count, bucket design, product fragility and the discharge into the bagger or container.
- Snacks, pet food, confectionery, grains and irregular pieces.
- Good where speed and giveaway control are both important.
- Often paired with VFFS, pouch, jar or downstream conveying equipment.
Best-fit applications
- Snacks, pet food, confectionery, frozen products, coffee and mixed dry products.
- Higher-throughput packaging lines where pack weight consistency is important.
- Projects where bucket design, product breakage and discharge timing affect output.
How this route should be specified
Start with the real product, not a catalogue category. Flow behaviour, target weight, acceptable tolerance, pack presentation and operator workflow determine whether this machine route is practical.
Use this route to compare a multihead combination weigher against your product, target weight, pack format, output target and line constraints. The links below also help you compare related machine and application options before asking for advice.
Comparison
Questions to answer before quoting.
These are the details that normally change the recommendation, model, controls, integration points and final line layout.
Format and closure
Pouch, bag, jar, tub, bottle, sachet or downstream feed, plus the sealing or closing method after filling.
Speed and accuracy
Target packs per minute, tolerance, operator involvement, cleaning frequency and future SKU changeovers.
FAQ
Multihead combination weigher questions.
Useful quick answers before you send your product and pack details.
When should I compare a multihead weigher?
Compare a multihead weigher when output, target-weight consistency or irregular product shape makes a simple linear route limiting.
Can multihead weighers handle fragile products?
They can be configured for many fragile products, but bucket design, drop height, speed and product handling must be reviewed.
Do multihead weighers only work with VFFS machines?
No. They can be integrated with VFFS lines, premade pouch systems, containers or other downstream equipment depending on the layout.
Send the product, target weight, pack format and output target.
That gives Lancing enough information to compare a linear weigher, multihead weigher, auger filler or integrated bagging line.
Combination weighing
The control chooses a combination of partial weights to reach the target.
Product is distributed across several feed paths and weigh hoppers. The controller compares available partial weights and selects a combination close to the target, then discharges the selected hoppers together. The next result depends on how quickly and evenly the emptied hoppers refill.
Useful performance therefore depends on more than the nominal number of heads. Product distribution, bucket volume, target weight, piece size, allowable drop, feeder settings and the cycle of the receiving pouch, bag or container system all need to be tested together.
Verified ten-head reference
The Lancing LU-GFKL420 first-party reference uses ten electronic weighing heads with approximately 1.3 L per head, a 10–2500 g range and a 5–60 bags/minute reference. Its approximately ≤0.3–1 g accuracy reference is conditional on product and target weight, while output is also conditional on bag size and film. Those figures belong to that specified configuration and trial basis, not every multihead application.
What a multihead trial should expose.
- Head fill distribution and any starved or overloaded positions.
- Useful combinations at the smallest and largest target weights.
- Mean, standard deviation, minimum, maximum and under-target count.
- Product damage, fines, sticking or seasoning build-up.
- Discharge timing, product tails and product-in-seal rejects.
- Sustained output including hopper refill and receiving-machine stops.
Cleaning and changeover
Review every product-contact and retention point.
Record removal and replacement of feed pans, pool hoppers, weigh hoppers, chutes and collection funnels where applicable. Check whether tools are required, whether parts can be positively identified to a recipe, and how the machine is verified after reassembly.
For food, allergen or flavour changeovers, define the cleaning standard and inspection method before the machine is selected. “Stainless steel” alone does not prove hygienic suitability for a specific process.
Weigher-to-line interface.
- Discharge request, ready, busy and discharge-complete signals.
- Recipe and target ownership between weigher and line controller.
- Product-low, fault and downstream-stop behaviour.
- Timing to VFFS jaws, premade pouch station, tray or container index.
- Checkweigher reject and optional trend feedback.
- Safe handling of product already held in buckets during a stop.
Buyer questions
Multihead trial and integration questions.
Does a higher head count always mean a better result?
No. Product distribution, bucket volume, target weight, combination logic, drop height and the receiving machine can matter more than head count alone.
What statistics should be reported from a multihead trial?
Report consecutive finished-pack net weights, mean, standard deviation, minimum, maximum, under-target count, rejects and output under the same product and bagger conditions.
How should fragile product be assessed?
Compare representative incoming and finished samples for breakage, fines and visual damage, and record the effect of feeder amplitude, bucket design and drop height.
What causes product-in-seal on a VFFS line?
Long product tails, bouncing pieces, poor discharge timing, excessive drop height or unstable bagger synchronisation can allow product into the jaw area.
Can a multihead weigher feed jars or trays?
Potentially, but the timed discharge, distribution device, container indexing and product drop must be designed and tested for that pack route.