The Newtec Mini Weigher:
Accurate weighing of small, fragile convenience food
The Newtec 2008PCM Mini Weigher has
become a popular choice for accurate,
high-speed weighing of a range of
processed food products such as
fresh and dried fruit, snacks and small
frozen foods. The engineer behind the
technology explains why. Newtec has
been a leading manufacturer of weighing,
sorting and packing equipment since
the 1970s. When the company and its
dealer JASA realised the demand for
a weighing machine that could gently
handle multiple portions of small
processed food products and combine
them in a ready-to-eat package,
Newtec’s mechanical engineer and
Head of Construction Department, Bo
Zierau immediately got involved with the
project.
DEVELOPING A COMPACT WEIGHING
MACHINE FOR SMALL PORTIONS
High speed, small portions, small
products, gentle handling and an easyto-clean
system had been identified by
Newtec and JASA as key priorities for the
new machine.
“We started up with some discussion
about how to do it and we found out that
we could make a compact weigher that
we called the Mini Weigher. We had to
make a lot of changes of course,” says
Zierau, who began by downscaling each
part of the existing Newtec weighing
technology.
“Finding the space for a narrower
weighing system itself was actually
pretty complicated,” says Zierau. “Also
26 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk
making it cleanable so it can be taken
apart and cleaned part for part was a
challenge. But we did it in almost half a
year, where we were ready in Holland with
two weighing lines consisting of four plus
two integrated weighers.”
Expanding into the fresh produce
sector and developing the Mini Weigher
2008PCM has represented a completely
new venture for Newtec, and one that
presented a unique set of advantages.
“Many of our standard programmes are
for bigger products and bigger portions, so
this is a compact machine with a smaller
footprint,” explains Zierau. “It can make
small portions that can be combined with
each other line by line.
“Many of our standard programmes are
for bigger products and bigger portions, so
this is a compact machine with a smaller
footprint.”
CLEANING AND SERVICE WITHOUT
USING TOOLS
Quick dismantling and assembly of weigh
pans, vibrator chutes and funnels make it
easy to get access to cleaning and service
without using tools.
COMPLEX WEIGHING OF CUT FRESH
FRUIT MADE EASY
The first six weighers were transported
from Denmark to Holland in November
2016, where they were installed in a line
and used for the weighing and packing of
small, mixed fruit trays.
The complex requirement, which involved
a mix of up to four different fruits in one
tray weighing 220g to 400g, presented
a challenge that the Mini Weigher was
purposefully designed to handle. Newtec’s
solution involved the deployment of six
2008PCM machines connected across
two lines.
To begin the process, operators pre-define
the customer recipe and target weight.
The weighing machines then weigh the
fruit as close to the target weight as
possible. The software ensures that each
tray contains approximately 50g of green
melon, 50g of pineapple and 40g of yellow
melon, with the remaining amount topped
up with grapes.