May 2017 – The BLH Nobel brand of Vishay Precision Group (NYSE: VPG), experts in standard and custom process weighing and force measurement solutions, including high-quality and high-accuracy weighing and control systems, today announced that its G5 Series panel mount measurement amplifiers (G5 PM Series) are now certified 'legal-for-trade' via firmware upgrade, as per the very latest standards set forth by EN45501:2015 and the International Organisation of Legal Metrology (OIML).

In global commercial applications where product is sold by weight, a legal requirement exists for all associated weighing equipment, whether individual scales or a full pre-pack line, to be 'legal-for-trade' certified. Such certifications confirm that associated instrumentation has undergone the necessary stringent testing to ensure its total conformance to uniform global accreditation standards. This further ensures that it is sufficiently accurate for its intended commercial weighing purpose.

With the BLH Nobel 'legal-for-trade' firmware upgrade, the G5 PM Series can now support all non-automatic weighing applications, in full compliance with EN 45501 and OIML R76 Class III or IIII single-interval industrial use criteria (NTEP approvals pending). The measurement amplifier offers secondary functionality as a long-term onboard data storage device, without the need for a stand-alone printer. Units can accept any traditional load cell input signal with a 0.4 ?V minimum verification scale interval, and with maximum potential intervals set at 10,000. Initial device storage capacity exists for up to 50,000 individual text records, allowing for up to 500 separate files of 100 records each. Each file name is assigned a unique identification number for tracking purposes.

Other new functions afforded by the BLH Nobel G5 PM Series 'legal-for-trade' firmware upgrade include full language support in both English and Swedish, along with a modern and user-friendly visual indicator, audit trail counter, legal lock function, easy calibration, remote access with common field buses (setup via browser or keyboard), and associated trade and management task functions. The firmware upgrade also allows the G5 PM Series to serve as a next-generation drop-in replacement for the now-obsolete Model TAD3. Model TAD3 was the brand's previous indicator solution for legal weighing applications, with new G5 PM Series units occupying an identical footprint to that of the legacy model. The G5 PM Series is available with a full complement of standard and custom load cells from the BLH Nobel portfolio, along with full applications engineering and troubleshooting support.

Originally launched in February 2016, the G5 Series measurement amplifier combines standard interfaces, a modular design, and onboard integral web servers. It offers streamlined commissioning and calibration; reduced operations and maintenance costs; and advanced communication protocols for optimised system efficiencies, including remote diagnostics, parameterisation, backup and maintenance functions. A recently released firmware upgrade (v1.3.0) added new capabilities such as flow rate calculation, enhanced diagnostics, excitation current measurement and supervision, updated Fieldbus data mapping, and an EtherNet/IP interface. The G5 Series is just one in a family of advanced process control instruments from BLH Nobel, designed to support the measurement requirements of comprehensive weighing systems.

Typical applications for the BLH Nobel G5 PM Series include process weighing and control, weighing force measurements, high-speed dynamic measurements, and factory automation. Expanded applications now afforded by the 'legal-for-trade' firmware upgrade include coil weighing; steel plate commercial weighing; offshore fish farm pellet weighing; fine-grained concentrates weighing for the mining industry; and virtually any other commercial weighing application requiring EN45501:2015 and OIML certifications. Units are also fully CE marked.