Vismec has updated the HALO weighing ring with advanced features and functionality: a truly unique solution in industrial weighing systems for plastic granules.

HALO is the weighing device installed beneath the plastic granule receiver or feeder, monitoring consumption in real time.

The new version confirms the setting that has made HALO a benchmark in the sector: a single device to monitor the most significant cost item in production – that is, the raw material – and manage conveying and drying based on the actual weight of the granules.

What is an industrial weighing system in plastic granule processing?

An industrial weighing system is a device that measures and monitors material usage (i.e., plastic granules) based on weight: an objective metric that, as we will see, also allows for managing transportation without relying on estimated time frames.

In plastics processing, this is a critical factor: plastic granules represent the largest cost item in the process; consequently, knowing their actual, real-time consumption, batch by batch, enables more effective control of production costs.

Compared to a time-based approach, in which cycles are set based on estimates and must be recalibrated with every material change, weighing provides objective, traceable data that can be used immediately to make process decisions.

HALO applies this principle directly in-line: it is a weighing ring that mounts beneath the receiver or feeder and weighs the material as it passes through the system, without adding bulk or extra processing steps.

From this position, HALO detects the actual flow rate, records consumption, and provides the data needed to manage the upstream and downstream stages of the weighing process.

HALO: features and advantages

HALO doesn’t just weigh: it transforms weight data into process control, managing measurement, conveying, dehumidification, and batch production organization.

Real-time measurement and historical consumption data

The key feature of HALO is the accurate measurement of material flow rate, expressed in kg/h and available both in real time and as historical data. The device records raw material consumption and makes it available for review by hourly, daily, monthly, or custom intervals.

Having actual consumption data readily available at all times allows you to identify waste, verify yields, and accurately allocate raw material costs to each order or period. Specifically, HALO allows you to monitor:

• real-time actual flow rate, with an alarm function that triggers when the set threshold is exceeded, allowing for immediate action in response to deviations;
• actual material consumption with historical records, to compare production trends over time and accurately reconstruct the quantities used;
• an integrable data archive, through which consumption data is available in various formats and, thanks to open communication, can be integrated into other management or supervisory systems.

Weight-controlled conveying and dehumidification

It is here that HALO truly stands out. Vismec is the only company on the market to offer a system that controls pneumatic conveying of granules by weight rather than by time. Through central control via the VisiBus OPC UA protocol, HALO automatically calculates conveying and line-cleaning times based on the recorded weights.

Thus, it is no longer necessary to manually recalibrate the times as the material, distance, or throughput changes: set the capacity of the receiver, and VisiBus automatically determines the correct values.

For example, if a line retrieves material from a distant warehouse and then switches to material coming from the next machine, the set times are no longer valid: with a time-based control system, they would all have to be recalculated. With HALO, however, just specify the receiver capacity in kg, and the system will determines the corresponding transport and cleaning times.

The same weight data controls the drying: the real-time throughput expressed in kg/h automatically determines the parameters of the dehumidifier, which adapts to the actual production rate. An alarm that triggers when the maximum throughput is exceeded also prevents material that has not yet been dehumidified from being sent to the machine, thereby safeguarding the quality of the finished product.

Batch production and automatic control

For batch processing, the operator sets the target weight of the material. HALO measures the cumulative weight in real time, displays the time remaining until completion, and automatically stops loading once the set weight is reached. This automated process reduces waste and frees the operator from manually checking the quantity.

Technical specifications of the new weighing system

HALO is compatible with Vismec receivers and integrates into the existing system without invasive interventions. Here are its main technical specifications:

• weighing capacity, up to 100 kg, with compatible receivers ranging from 2 to 50 liters;
• maximum material temperature, 80 °C, also suitable for hot-processed materials;
• power supply, 24 Vdc, 100 mA;
• communication interface Modbus RTU via RJ45 / RS485, for communication with the plant and supervisory systems.

By integrating measurement, conveyor control, and dehumidification adjustment functions into a single weighing system, HALO reduces waste, provides transparency into production costs, and cuts line setup time – all without requiring invasive modifications to your existing plant.

Are you a plastics processing company and looking to integrate the new HALO weighing loop with your granules conveying and dehumidification systems? Contact us and request technical support from Vismec!