Guaranteed Accuracy With Science-based Verification
The expression, “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” implies that it is a mistake to try to improve something that works. But for a successful, well-established pharmaceutical company in central Pennsylvania, that philosophy could have led to inaccurate weighing results. Although their balances appeared to be performing just fine, the company learned through METTLER TOLEDO’s Good Weighing Practice (GWP®) that a number of them did not meet minimum weight requirements.
The pharmaceutical company turned to METTLER TOLEDO to evaluate its weighing equipment using GWP Verification, a science-based assessment that provides all the information needed to calibrate and test equipment effectively. The output of GWP® Verification sets a benchmark for accurate weighing according to the customer’s process tolerances and regulatory requirements.
Making informed Decisions
“GWP allowed us to identify balances that did not meet minimum weight requirements,” says a principal scientist for the company. “Without GWP, we could only look at the old balances and throw them out. But that wasn’t necessarily what we needed to do. This helped us make decisions based on science.” In fact, through GWP evaluation, the company discovered that several newer balances did not meet requirements, while some of the older ones were.
“I would strongly recommend GWP to those who do small sample weighing because it helped us build quality into the work we do,” says the scientist. “It’s a small drop in the bucket as far as costs are concerned, but it really ensures quality.”
For this scientist, quality means peace of mind. He says that knowing the tolerance of the weight he’s taking gives him confidence that the balance is working well.
Ready for Audits
In another facility, where the pharmaceutical company uses weighing equipment for formulation, the engineers needed help determining the scales’ accuracy and process tolerances. GWP Verification indicated that the scales’ minimum weight is 6 kilograms, and it could not accurately weigh down to 2 kilograms, as it was being used to do.
The company quickly got serious about ensuring all its scales weighed accurately not only to meet regulatory requirements, but also to prevent quality and consumer safety issues.
“GWP makes this air-tight for audits,” says METTLER TOLEDO’s Wayne Frick. “We make sure these scales are as accurate as they can be and arm our customers with the knowledge they need to make the best decisions about weighing.”
Benefits of GWP Verification
GWP is the only science-based global standard for efficient lifecycle management of weighing systems, developed from the experts at METTLER TOLEDO.
Reproducible accuracy:
- Every scale is certified for its intended use
- Weighing errors are eliminated
- Out-of-spec results and inaccurate batches are prevented
Audit readiness:
- Weighing quality is proven under operating conditions
- All industry specific regulatory requirements are met
- Status of the entire weighing equipment is reported
Feasible cost savings:
- Testing and calibration program is optimized
- Unnecessary tests are eliminated
- Out-of spec equipment or downtime is minimized
- Benchmark your weighing quality system
- Find out about your risks and check the accuracy of your weighing instruments