Weighing vs Counting Gummies: Which Filling Method to Use

Every gummy package has a number on the label: 10 pieces, 20 pieces, 100 mg per pack. There are two ways to hit that number by machine. You can count the pieces, or you can weigh them. Here is how to choose.

Counting

A counter feeds gummies in single file past sensors and counts each one. The EliteCount uses infrared sensors and handles gummies, tablets and capsules from 3 to 10 mm thick and 3 to 30 mm long.

Good for: packs sold by piece count where every pack must contain an exact number, such as 10 gummies at 10 mg each. Regulators and customers both count pieces.

Watch for: sticky or sugar-coated gummies that clump. Two stuck together can read as one. Product needs to be cured and coated so pieces separate.

Weighing

A multihead weigher drops product into many small buckets, weighs each one, and picks the combination of buckets closest to the target. The EliteWeigh multihead weigher comes with 10 to 32 heads. The standard model for edibles is accurate to 0.1 g.

Good for: products sold by net weight, larger pack sizes, and mixed shapes that are hard to count.

Watch for: piece-count labels. If your gummies vary in weight, an exact weight does not guarantee an exact count.

Count by weight

There is a middle path. The EliteWeigh has count-by-weight programs. If each gummy is consistent in weight, the weigher uses piece weight to deliver a count. This works well when your depositor holds piece weight tightly.

How to decide

• Label says pieces, small counts: count.
• Label says net weight: weigh.
• Pieces are very consistent and you want speed: count by weight.
• Pieces stick together: fix the product first. Neither method likes clumps.

Bags or jars

Both fillers mount above a pouch bagger or a jar line. For pouches, the RotoBagger runs 25 to 35 bags a minute on edibles and the RotoDuplex runs 50 to 70. For jars and tins, the container filling machine indexes containers under the filler, and a capper and labeler can follow it.

Test with your own product

Gummies differ a lot between recipes. Before you choose, send samples and have them run on both a counter and a weigher. The result tells you more than any spec sheet.

For the full line, see our edibles and gummies packaging page.

Talk to someone who runs these machines

Tell us your product, your bag and how many units you need per shift. We will tell you which machine fits and what it takes to install it. Contact LeafyPack or call +1 (657) 267-0059.