Depending on your operational needs, you may want to set up a free-running setpoint or a batching setpoint on your indicator. To decide what one is best for your situation, there are some differences you should keep in mind.

Free-Running Setpoints

A free-running setpoint is always evaluating if the parameters that you set for an indicator are being met. When you establish a setpoint value on an indicator and you go over that setpoint, an action occurs. This is useful in an alarm system for a truck scale if you don’t want the weight to go over 50,000 pounds for example. When you configure the free-running setpoint to 50,000 pounds and drive an overweight truck onto the scale, an alarm will sound. To disengage the alarm, the overweight truck must drive off the scale and the alarm button must be reset. This process will automatically happen for every truck on the scale as long as the setpoint is configured to run.

Batching Setpoints

A batching setpoint means the parameters are only evaluated when the setpoint routine is running. When you configure a batching routine on your indicator, the action will occur up to the setpoint, then when the weight rises higher than the setpoint value the effect will turn off. A batching setpoint can be used with a chute to open up and dispense product into a container up to a certain weight measurement.

As you’re considering whether a free-running or batching setpoint would be best for your application, remember that a free-running setpoint will have the action occur over a certain weight limit. A batching setpoint will have the action occur right away and turn off at a set weight limit. To learn more about how these setpoints can be used for your application, contact Rice Lake Weighing Systems’ experts.