Operator manual
Operator manual: d-dispensing weighing terminal
Who this manual is for: operators at the weighing bench and shift leads. It describes the flow of a weighing, the meaning of displays and messages, and behaviour during disruptions. Setup and administration are covered in the Administration & Installation Guide.
1. The bench
A dispensing bench consists of scale, label printer, barcode scanner and a screen (PC or panel) running the terminal in a full-screen browser. The UI is designed for touch and scanner; no mouse is needed.
Display mode: top right[Engineering: confirm position] toggles between dark (default) and light mode – light for benches under strong ambient light. The setting is remembered for this bench.
Status indicator: a green dot with "Online" shows the bench is connected to the site server. When the connection drops the indicator changes[Engineering: exact rendering] – see section 6.
2. Logging in
Log in with your personal credential[Engineering: badge scan or entry?]. Every weighing is attributed to your credential and recorded in the batch record. Never work under another person's login. Logging in requires a connection to the site server.
3. Performing a weighing
3.1 Scan the production order
Scan the barcode of the production order (PA). The terminal shows the bill of materials: all positions with material, target, quantity dispensed so far and remaining. For orders covering several batches, select the batch you are dispensing for[Engineering: selection mechanics]; progress is tracked per batch. Completed positions carry a tick; the selected position is highlighted.
3.2 Select position and scan container
Tap the position you want to dispense and scan the barcode of the container (Quant number) you are taking material from. The terminal checks that the container matches the position's material.
- Match: weighing is released, the live display appears.
- No match: the terminal refuses the container and shows a message. Weighing is not possible. The refusal is logged. Check that you have the right container and position; if in doubt, inform your shift lead.
3.3 Tare
Place the target vessel (empty container) on the scale and tare[Engineering: tare key on terminal or scale?]. The display reads 0.000.
3.4 Weigh
Add material to the target vessel. The display continuously shows the live weight and target (e.g. 9.800 / 10.000 kg), a progress bar, and the material's hazard information: GHS pictograms and signal word (e.g. "DANGER"). Observe them and the required protective equipment. At 50 % and 95 % of target a hint appears so you approach the target in a controlled way. Approach slowly – an overshoot cannot be "corrected" by removing material without this being logged[Engineering: confirm behaviour on removal].
3.5 Finish the weighing
The "Finish" button[Engineering: exact label] only becomes active when the weighing is within tolerance: a single weighing may deliver at most 104 % of the remaining requirement, and a position can only be closed when the total lies between 98 % and 102 % of target. If the button is inactive, the quantity is outside the band: too little – keep dispensing; too much – inform your shift lead, the weighing cannot be booked in this state.
Partial quantities: a position may be filled in several weighings (e.g. from several containers). Each partial weighing is finished individually; the terminal sums them and shows the remaining requirement.
3.6 Label and booking
After finishing, automatically:
- 01the weighing is stored durably;
- 02the label printer prints the label – its barcode is the unique ID of this weighing record;
- 03the stock movement is booked in the ERP and warehouse system.
Attach the label to the target vessel. There is no label without a stored record – if a label printed, the weighing is stored.
3.7 Proof of charging
When you add the dispensed material to the process vessel, confirm charging at the terminal[Engineering: flow – scan the label?]. This documents that the quantity actually entered the batch.
3.8 Completing the order
When all positions of the batch are closed, the terminal shows the order as complete[Engineering: rendering]. Scan the next production order.
4. Messages and their meaning
| Message (paraphrased) | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Container does not match position[Engineering: exact texts] | Scanned container holds a different material | Choose correct container or position; if unclear, shift lead |
| Quantity exceeds allowed single weighing | More than 104 % of remaining on the scale | Remove material to within limit; inform shift lead |
| Position outside tolerance | Total not between 98 and 102 % | Keep dispensing (too little) or shift lead (too much) |
| Hint 50 % / 95 % | Early warning | Dispense more slowly |
| No connection to server | Network or server unreachable | Finish the weighing in progress normally (section 6); no new orders possible |
| Scale not reachable | Serial link to scale interrupted | Check cable and scale; inform administration |
| Printer not reachable | Label printer not responding | Check printer; reprint label[Engineering: available?] |
| Licence expiring / expired | Licence check notice | Inform administration; weighings in progress are unaffected |
5. What you cannot do – and why
- Book a weighing outside tolerance. Limits are also checked on the server; the button stays locked.
- Use a wrong container. Checked before weighing.
- Override a refusal. Refusals are logged and cannot be deleted.
- Print a label without a weighing. Labels only come from stored records.
- Open new orders without the server. The terminal never guesses at BOMs.
These locks are not distrust of operators. They are why an inspection can trust the record – and why nobody has to explain after a shift how a deviation came about.
6. Behaviour on network loss
- The weighing in progress continues normally – scale and printer are connected directly to the bench; you can finish, the record is stored locally, the label prints.
- Booking is caught up automatically once the server is reachable, without your intervention and without double booking.
- New orders or logins are not possible until the connection is restored; the terminal shows a message. Inform administration for longer outages.
7. End of shift
Log out[Engineering: flow]. Open, unfinished weighings[Engineering: behaviour on logout with open weighing].
8. Contact
For disruptions you cannot resolve: your site's administration (see notice at the bench). Product questions: d-dispensing support area (/en/support/) or your D-Automation contact.