How do you calculate effective throughput?

Divide units dosed by runtime for raw throughput, then multiply by your control efficiency. With 1,200 units over 8 hours the raw rate is 150 units/hr; at 90% efficiency the effective rate is 135 units/hr.

What is a good gravimetric control efficiency?

Well-tuned loss-in-weight feeders on free-flowing material often hold 92-97% of nameplate; 90% as in the default is workable but suggests refill or flow-disturbance losses worth chasing.

Why is effective throughput lower than raw throughput?

Raw throughput assumes every minute of runtime is productive dosing. Efficiency discounts the time spent in volumetric refill, disturbance recovery, and out-of-band control, which is why 150 units/hr becomes 135.

Should I schedule to raw or effective throughput?

Schedule to effective. Planning to the 150 units/hr raw rate instead of 135 would over-commit the line by 10% every hour, compounding into missed daily targets.

How do I improve effective throughput without a faster feeder?

Lift efficiency: reduce refill frequency with a larger hopper, improve material flow to cut disturbances, and tune the control loop so it recovers faster. Each point of efficiency is 1.5 units/hr here.

Scale resolution vs feeder capacity, what's the difference?

Capacity is the maximum the feeder can physically deliver; this effective throughput is what it sustainably delivers under real control conditions over a full run.

Weighing, Dosing & Loss-in-Weight Feeding calculator

Scale Resolution Calculator

This calculator turns weighed-and-dosed output over a runtime into a raw throughput, then discounts it by your gravimetric control efficiency to give the effective throughput you can actually plan around. Line planners and process engineers on loss-in-weight systems use it because a feeder's nameplate rate is meaningless if it spends time in volumetric refill or hunting after a disturbance. It matters because scheduling to raw throughput over-promises capacity, while scheduling to effective throughput sets realistic commitments. The gap between raw and effective is a direct read on how much the control loop is costing you in usable rate.

What this calculator does

This calculator turns weighed-and-dosed output over a runtime into a raw throughput, then discounts it by your gravimetric control efficiency to give the effective throughput you can actually plan around.
Use it when scale resolution in weighing, dosing and loss-in-weight feeding is being committed and you need a throughput number you can defend.
It computes raw throughput as output ÷ runtime and effective throughput as raw × efficiency.

Formula used

Raw scale resolution = completed output ÷ runtime
Effective scale resolution = raw throughput × efficiency

Inputs explained

Units weighed and dosed:
Weighing runtime:
Gravimetric control efficiency:

How to use the result

Use it when you need a realistic hourly rate for a loss-in-weight feeder or dosing station rather than an optimistic nameplate figure.
It applies a single flat efficiency to the whole run, so it won't capture how efficiency sags near the end of a hopper's contents or spikes right after a refill.

Common questions

How do you calculate effective throughput? Divide units dosed by runtime for raw throughput, then multiply by your control efficiency. With 1,200 units over 8 hours the raw rate is 150 units/hr; at 90% efficiency the effective rate is 135 units/hr.
What is a good gravimetric control efficiency? Well-tuned loss-in-weight feeders on free-flowing material often hold 92-97% of nameplate; 90% as in the default is workable but suggests refill or flow-disturbance losses worth chasing.
Why is effective throughput lower than raw throughput? Raw throughput assumes every minute of runtime is productive dosing. Efficiency discounts the time spent in volumetric refill, disturbance recovery, and out-of-band control, which is why 150 units/hr becomes 135.
Should I schedule to raw or effective throughput? Schedule to effective. Planning to the 150 units/hr raw rate instead of 135 would over-commit the line by 10% every hour, compounding into missed daily targets.
How do I improve effective throughput without a faster feeder? Lift efficiency: reduce refill frequency with a larger hopper, improve material flow to cut disturbances, and tune the control loop so it recovers faster. Each point of efficiency is 1.5 units/hr here.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.