Sartorius finds the balance for weighing food

Sartorius has unveiled a lab balance underlining the importance of reliable and traceable results when weighing in the food industry.

Quintix is available in 12 models with weighing capacities from 120g to 5,100g and readabilities extending from 0.1mg to 1g.

The user interface of the Quintix balance was developed by Sartorius in teamwork with lab users, the firm told FoodQualityNews.com.

Laboratories must provide Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and/or Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-compliant documents and process weighing data quickly and reliably.

The Quintix balance transfers its data to the built-in USB port to any computer in the lab, without requiring additional software. As a result, weighing data can be read into Excel or into another program for further processing.

Weighing importance

In addition to “simple” weighing, the balance has built-in application programs to support the user in quality laboratories or test kitchens, said the firm.

Joerg Siedel, product manager for Quintix, said a balance has to deliver repeatable weight measurements to ensure constant test results over time.

“In general, not much attention is paid to weighing. During my visits, when I place a reference weight of 100g on the customers’ balances, we obtain different measurements of between 90-120g. Such deviations are not in line with advanced quality expectations, so there is a need for proper quality measurements,” he told us.

“In a quality control lab, you need a reliable balance that can calibrate itself and deliver repeatable results.”

Built-in applications

Quintix features built-in applications that include weighing in percent, weighing of components, counting, mixing, checkweighing, statistics and many others. He added that the balance guides the user step by step through each weighing process, preventing operating errors.

The balance has been through more than 1,000,000 stress tests involving repeatability, linearity and temperature drift to guarantee metrological quality and reliability of weighing results.

“We developed the balance to ensure that it is intuitive and easy to use,” said Siedel.“The instrument supports the daily routines of labs in quality control, saving them time and money.”

He said temperature fluctuations could affect the accuracy of weighing results. This is why balances must be calibrated and adjusted at regular intervals as soon as ambient conditions change.

The isoCAL combined calibration and adjustment function adjusts the balance automatically using an internal weight.