Rinker Materials Corp. knows all about heavy-duty materials handling. This manufacturer of bulk masonry materials produces bags of cement, each weighing up to 100 pounds. To push production rates even higher at its Port Everglades, Fla. plant, the company needed to produce bags closer to its target weight and improve overall efficiency of its packing process.

By installing an in-motion checkweigher and automating its packing machinery, the plant achieved consistent, accurate weight measurements within 0.5 pounds. It also increased production rates by 30–40% while improving worker safety and reducing labor.

Previously, Rinker used manual labor to check bag weights. Unfortunately, this halted production as a worker pulled a bag from a conveyor to place it on a mechanical scale.

The plant now has just the right customized, space-saving solution. A compact checkweigher provides extremely fast weighing cycles to meet Rinker's application requirements. The system's photo-eye sensor quickly terminates a load to allow for accurate weighing within a tight space. A reject device on the end of the scale ejects off-spec bags without disrupting production or requiring human intervention.

Data collection and reporting software integrated with the checkweighing system helps Rinker further optimize its production process. The system presents real-time data so users can easily analyze and adjust production flow as necessary.

"We can now constantly monitor weights without having to stop the operation," says plant manager Juan Alvarez. "The software helps us maintain consistent bag quality, and weigh and track inventory better, all of which have resulted in greater efficiency and cost savings."

Automating the plant's production line has eliminated the risk of bag handling injuries too because workers are no longer required to remove bags from the line to be weighed or resized. Only one worker is needed to operate the automated system, making production faster and safer.

What once took Rinker 12 to 15 seconds to fill a bag of cement now takes only 8 or 9 seconds. That has helped improve overall production rates by nearly 40%.