A&D Company, Ltd. (Headquarters: Toshima Ward, Tokyo, Representative Director and President: Yasunobu Morishima) has added an option for a package seal overlap inspection function to the AD-4991 series/PROTEX series X-ray inspection system. This function contributes to the HACCP management system, which will be implemented from June 2020.

Background Regarding Requests for a Package Seal Overlap Inspection Function

If a product being sealed in a package is caught in the seal, the product’s seal will not be airtight, and quality will not be able to be maintained.

For this reason, there are some users who must utilize a lot of time and effort performing pre-shipment visual inspections to check for seal overlaps.

However, visual checks leave room for worry on some production lines, as some types of packaging don’t allow for the product inside to be seen, and the overlaps cannot be detected with optical cameras or photoelectric sensors.

A&D Package Seal Overlap Inspection Function

A new package seal overlap inspection function has been added as an option to the A&D brand AD-4991 Series/PROTEX series of X-ray inspection systems.

Main Features of the AD-4991 Series and PROTEX Series

  • Most compact system on the market.
  • Simple GUI with a 15” color touchscreen provides for easy operation
  • Quick and stable product setup
  • Comes standard with contaminant detection, shape, counting, positioning and mass estimation inspections capabilities.
  • Suitable for use in HACCP program
  • Easy cleaning and replacment with quick release belt and curtains
  • Stainless and sloped surfaces minimize water collection and maximize cleanability.
  • Safety sensors are embedded at access points to provide additional safeguards against X-ray exposure.

AD-4991 Product Page

A&D Co., Ltd. (headquarters: Toshima Ward, Tokyo, Representative Director and President, Yasunobu Morishima) has launched the HW-CEP/HV-CEP series of intrinsically safe, explosion-proof digital platform scales that can be used in type 0 to type 2 hazardous locations, including factories.

Key Features of the HW-CEP/HV-CEP Series

  • Affordable selection of capacities and readabilities for excellent explosion protection
  • High-speed measurement—response within 1 second (for the HV-CEP series)*1
  • Multi-colored 5-step LED comparator lights
  • Auto-tare and negative comparison functions realizing “take-away” check weighing
  • Highly-visible, LCD display (26 mm character height) with white backlight
  • Quick and easy settings using the alphanumeric keypad
  • Key lock function to prevent operators from making changes to the scale settings
  • IP65 dust & waterproof base unit with a stainless steel (SUS430) pan
  • Adjustable response characteristics depending on the degree of drafts and vibrations at the location
  • Display hold function
  • Counting mode function
  • Accumulation (M+) function
  • Approx. 1,500 hours of operation with four D batteries*2
  • Auto power OFF function to save battery power
  • Display angle adjustable to five levels

*1 Time required for the last digit to settle (the stabilization mark will be lit one second after), which is subject to the weighing environment, response characteristic setting and how the target object is placed. With the HW-CEP series, response typically takes not more than 1.5 seconds.
*2 With LED and backlight OFF (or approx. 1,000 hours with LED and backlight ON). The batteries to be used are specified: DURACELL MN1300, ENERGIZER E95, or Panasonic LR20 (XJ).

Main Specifications

ModelHV-15KCEPHV-60KCEPHV-200KCEP
Capacity3 kg6 kg15 kg15 kg30 kg60 kg60 kg150 kg220 kg
Readability0.001 kg0.002 kg0.005 kg0.005 kg0.01 kg0.02 kg0.02 kg0.05 kg0.1 kg
Weighing pan250 mm × 250 mm330 mm × 424 mm390 mm × 530 mm
ModelHW-10KCEPHW-60KCEPHW-100KCEPHW-200KCEP
Capacity10 kg60 kg100 kg220 kg
Readability0.001 kg0.005 kg0.01 kg0.02 kg
Weighing pan250 mm × 250 mm330 mm × 424 mm390 mm × 530 mm

HW-CEP/HV-CEP Series Product Page

A&D Company, Ltd. (Head Office: Toshima Ward, Tokyo, Representative Director and President: Yasunobu Morishima) has acquired a patent for the AD-4976 series of metal detectors, that can detect metallic foreign matter in food and other materials with a high level of sensitivity by taking advantage of a variety of features, such as multi-frequency support.

With this invention, the resin plate below the belt of the belt conveyor can now be secured without the use of metal fittings, such as screws or snap locks.

Background that led to this Invention

A&D’s metal detectors are inspection machines mainly used in food factories. They are used to detect foreign metallic matter that may be contained in an item being tested while it is transported on a conveyor belt, and to inspect the safety of food and other products.

In these devices, a resin plate is placed under the conveyor belt to prevent the belt from bending so that objects to be inspected can be transported stably.

The plate is fixed to the main unit in way that takes into consideration ease of removal during maintenance. However, when metallic screws were used to secure the plates, the screws would gradually loosen in relation to the resin screw holes due to aging, causing the plates to rattle, and in some cases, the screws would fall off and be detected as foreign matter.

Therefore, in order to avoid this risk, snap locks that hook a metal arm onto metal fittings were used instead of screws. However, was also not a perfect countermeasure, as the spring strength would weaken due to aging.

In addition, it was fundamentally believed that placing any metallic material, such as a screw or a snap lock, near the detection section of the metal detector could negatively affect the detection sensitivity of the metal detector.

Purpose and Overview of the Invention

The purpose of this invention is to ensure that the resin plate can be reliably secured while being able to be easily removed without the use of metal materials, and to prevent to introduction of foreign metallic matter.

To achieve this purpose, a method to securely fix the resin plate without the use of metallic materials, such as screws or snap locks, was developed, so that our metal detectors can be used safely and without the worry of metal fittings falling off.

This fixing method allows for the easy installation and removal of the resin plates via a sliding operation, which improves maintainability, such as during the replacement of conveyor belts, which are indispensable for long-term use.

Main Features of AD-4976 Series Metal Detector

  • Multi-frequency support
  • Compatible with dry products, wet products, aluminum vapor deposition packages, and packages containing oxygen absorbents (optional)
  • Improved resistance to inverter noise
  • Improved vibration resistance
  • Noise disturbance visualization function
  • No need for warm up
  • Sensor head can be purchased separately
  • Easy operation due to the 7-inch color touch panel display
  • Washable and waterproof IP66 rated enclosure
  • Products can be inspected in 10 groups, with up to 100 products registered in each group
  • Images can be downloaded from a USB flash drive.

Patent Overview

Issue Date: March 13, 2020

Patent no.: Patent No. 6666059

Patent holder: A&D Company, Ltd.

Name of the invention: Metal detector

AD-4976 Product Page

A&D Company, Ltd. (Head Office: Toshima-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Yasunobu Morishima) has released the new UA-1200BLE, a hoseless upper arm blood pressure monitor (Sales Name: A&D Digital Blood Pressure Monitor UA-1200BLE/ Medical Device Certification Number: 301AHBZX00009000) with an integrated main unit and cuff.

As the blood pressure monitor is hoseless and worn on the upper arm, It’s not just convenient for measurement and storage, but is also portable for convenient use when traveling.

In addition, blood pressure measurement data can be managed on a smartphone via Bluetooth communication, so it’s easy to keep track of blood pressure changes in a convenient smartphone application.

Major Features of the Hoseless Upper-arm Blood Pressure Monitor UA-1200BLE

  • Hoseless
    • There is no hose that connects the main unit to the cuff.
    • An upper-arm blood pressure monitor with a portable design, as recommended in the 2019 Hypertension Treatment Guidelines.
    • Portable for convenient use when traveling. Contains a USB rechargeable battery, which does not need to be replaced, even when traveling abroad.
  • Simple and accurate measurement
    • Measurement is performed by just pressing the measurement button after attaching the main unit to the arm.
    • Equipped with an irregular pulse-wave (IHB) detection function for accurate measurement.
    • Automatically detects body motion and loose cuff attachment during measurement to support accurate measurement.

Major Features of the A&D Medical CONNECT Mobile Medical Application

  • Blood pressure monitor operation via an application
    • Intuitive operation allows for more personal blood pressure measurement.
  • Measurement data management with a smartphone
    • Device setting, measurement, measurement recording, and data sharing can all be performed using a single smartphone.
    • Eliminates the need for writing instruments and handwritten blood pressure logs. Measurement records can be managed on a smartphone.
    • Up to five smartphones can be registered to one UA-1200BLE. Health management can become more enjoyable by measuring your entire family together. During measurement, the name of the person being measured is displayed on the main unit.
    • Using a smartphone function, it’s possible for blood pressure measurement reports to be printed, emailed, or shared via social network, so your data can be easily shared with your family and physician.

UA-1200BLE Product Page

A&D Co., Ltd. (head office: Toshima-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Yasunobu Morishima) was certified as an “Excellent Health and Productivity Management Corporation” under the Excellent Health and Productivity Management Corporation Certification Program sponsored by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry and the Nippon Kenko Kaigi (Japan Health Council) on March 2, 2020.

Excellent Health and Productivity Management Corporation Certification Program

(Excerpt from the METI website)

The Excellent Health and Productivity Management Certification System identifies large and small to medium-sized businesses that practice particularly good health and productivity management based on local health challenges and efforts to promote health through the Japan Health Council.

The main goal of providing visibility to corporations that are involved in health and productivity management is to create an environment in which “corporations that consider employee health and productivity management from a managerial point of view, and tackle it strategically” can be socially evaluated by employees, job seekers, affiliated companies, financial institutions, and others.

*Health and Productivity Management (Kenkokeiei) is a registered trademark of Nonprofit Organization Kenkokeiei (NPO Institute for Health and Productivity Management Research).

Initiatives by A&D Company, Ltd.

As a manufacturer of measurement, weighing, and medical equipment, A&D Company, Ltd. engages in health management based on the belief that it is important for all employees to be both physically and mentally healthy in order to provide products that support the health of customers.

With this certification, A&D will continue to promote the further improvement of employee health, and make further efforts to contribute to a healthy lifestyle for our employees.

Declaration of Health and Productivity Management at A&D Company, Ltd.

In order to realize the stated management philosophy of A&D Company, Ltd., A&D declares the intention to create a work environment that allows each employee to maximize his or her own abilities and health by actively supporting employee health maintenance and improvement activities, as well as promoting organizational health and productivity improvement measures.

On February 19th, it was announced at a joint press conference that A&D Company Ltd. and Tanita Co. Ltd., have formed a business A&D Company, Ltd. (Head Office: Toshima-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Yasunobu Morishima) has announced that it has formed a business with Tanita Company, Ltd. (Head Office: Itabashi-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Senri Tanida) in the field of health measurement equipment.

Objectives and Overview of this Business Partnership

By leveraging A&D’s main strengths in blood pressure monitors and other medical technologies and products, along with Tanita’s strengths in non-disease and preventative health technologies and products, we plan to create new, high-value-added products and services, and expand the healthcare businesses of both companies.

Specifically, A&D will provide its commercial blood pressure monitors to Tanita, and Tanita will supply its commercial body composition monitors with automatic height measurement to A&D as an OEM (original equipment manufacturer).

In the OEM provision process, the “Tanita Algorithm*”, Tanita’s core technology for measuring body composition will be provided to A&D, enabling interconnection between the devices of both companies.

As a result, this will accelerate the speed of development for new products, and both companies will be able to increase their product lines in areas where they are strong.

This partnership is not only the first of its kind in the healthcare industry, but we hope that it’s also the first step towards standardization of body composition measurement technology, which will benefit many users.

*Tanita Algorithm
Many of the household body composition monitors in current widespread use utilize the bioimpedance analysis (BIA) measurement technique. The BIA method runs a weak current through the body, and from the electrical resistance value it obtains, along with other factors such as body weight, height, gender, and age, it performs statistical regression analysis to estimate body composition, such as body fat percentage and muscle quantity. The formula used in this statistical regression analysis is the algorithm. This is the core technology that determines the accuracy of body composition monitors, and is independently developed by each manufacturer.
The Tanita Algorithm was developed by collecting more than 15,000 examples of biometric data in Japan and overseas since 1992, when Tanita released the world’s body fat monitor that could perform measurement by only being stood upon. This algorithm achieves a high correlation with the gold standard for body composition measurement. It is also used in medical fields, and has been adopted for use in more than 200 academic conference presentations.

Background of Body Composition Measurement Standardization

The healthcare industry is undergoing structural reforms, with a variety of industries entering the market with the aim of expanding the market in the future. This partnership aims to anticipate these structural reforms, increase competitiveness in the market, and provide highly convenient health measurement equipment to users.

First, A&D plans to introduce its first use of the “Tanita Algorithm” in the “UC-421BLE”, a home-use body composition monitor that includes a communication function, which is planned for launch in the summer.

Until this point, body composition monitors have all been equipped with proprietary algorithms for each manufacturer, so measurement values differed from manufacturer to manufacturer. This kind of manufacturer-driven approach not only reduces the convenience for users, but can also be an obstacle in the promotion of “Data Health”, the centralized management of medical and health data.

Going forward, A&D and Tanita plan to solve these challenges by selling body composition monitors that incorporate a shared algorithm, and by establishing technical standards for body composition measurement that originate in Japan, which we expect to enhance competitiveness in overseas markets as well.

Health Measurement Equipment to be Sold by A&D due to this Business Partnership

  • Body composition monitor with automatic height measurement AD-6551 (equipped with the Tanita Algorithm)
    1. High-speed measurement of about 10 seconds
    2. Can be linked with other systems (includes 2 output ports; USB and RS232C)
    3. Extensive body of evidence
  • Home-use body composition monitor with communication function UC-421BLE
    1. Measures body weight in 50 g increments
    2. Automatically recognizes the user and starts measurement
    3. Transfers measurement data to a smartphone or PC using Bluetooth communication
    4. Displays results using different colored LEDs for up to 5 registered users.

Joint Press Conference Regarding this Business Partnership

Date and time: Wednesday, February 19, 2020, 3:30 PM (JST)

Venue: Conference Square M+ “Grand” (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)

A&D Company, Ltd. (headquarters: Toshima Ward, Tokyo, Representative Director and President: Yasunobu Morishima) has converted the RS-232C output for weighing instruments to Modbus RTU (RS-485), and released the AD-8551R, a Modbus converter that allows up to 31 weighing instruments to be connected to a PLC and other devices by multidrop.

Main Features of the AD-8551R Modbus Converter

  • A converter that converts RS-232C communication from electronic balances and scales into RS-485 communication
  • With RS-485, weighing data collection and management can be performed for up to 31 units can be performed on a single host device, such as a PLC or PC..
  • Compact and attachable to a DIN rail
  • Re-zero (zero-reset) processing for the weighing instrument can be can be performed from a PLC.
  • In the RS-485 communication method, communication by Modbus RTU (Modbus RTU mode) or communication by ASCII code commands (command mode) can be selected.

AD-8551R Product Page

A&D Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Tokyo, Toshima Ward, Representative Director and President: Yasunobu Morishima) has launched the new “BM-5” and “BM-5D” micro electronic balances, which allow for high-precision weighing from 1μg and are ideal for pre-processing, such as element analysis and mass analysis.
Both have a 5.2g weighing capacity, and are equipped with a windless ionizer as a countermeasure against static electricity, and a desktop breeze break (M) as standard.

Main Features of the “BM-5” and “BM-5D” Micro Balances

  • BM-5 (Single-Range Model/High-Performance Series)
    • Top micro electronic balance model made by A&D
    • Weighing capacity of 5.2g, minimum display of 0.001mg (1μg)
    • 1g repeatability within the weighing capacity, with a standard deviation of 0.0012mg (1.2μg)
    • Minimum weighing value of 2.0mg, in accordance with the 2.0mg minimum weighing value listed in Chapter 41 of the U.S. Pharmacopoeia (USP)
  • BM-5D (Smart Range Model/Basic Series)
    • Weighing capacity of 5.2g, minimum display (from 2.1g) 0.001mg (1μg) / (from 5.2g) 0.01mg (10μg)
    • 1g repeatability within the weighing capacity, with a standard deviation of 0.004mg (4μg)
    • Minimum weighing value of 5.0mg
    • Even if a tare weight that exceeds the precision range weighing capacity is used, weighing within the precision range (minimum display of 0.001mg) is possible
  • Features shared by BM-5/BM-5D
    • Equipped with a direct-current windless ionizer for electrostatic discharge as standard (patented)
    • Equipped with a desktop breeze break (M) as standard
    • For anti-static purposes, a conductive glass made of metallic film is utilized for the breeze break
    • A weighing pan that uses a latticed filter, which is less susceptible to breezes, is included as standard.
    • Includes a backlit LCD display that increases visibility and reduces eye fatigue
    • A cross-slide door that allows for both hands to be used to improve performance.
    • Built-in calibration weight
    • A password function is provided as a security measure.
    • Performance evaluation in the installation environment is possible using AND-MEET, a weighing environment evaluation tool.

BM Series Product Page

A&D Company, Ltd. (Head Office: Toshima Ward, Tokyo, Representative Director and President: Yasunobu Morishima) has launched the AD-1676 tabletop breeze break (M) for micro and semi-micro (0.01mg) electronic balances.

Main Features of the AD-1676 Desktop Breeze Break (M)

  • For micro and semi-micro (0.01mg) electronic balances
  • Significantly reduces weight value error due to ambient air convection around the balance
  • Solves the problem of electronic balance measuring errors caused by wind and drafts from air conditioners and/or human movement
  • Anti-static resin on transparent panels reduces the effects of static electricity
  • Holes installed on the back panel to run cables for the AC adapter and communication cables.
  • Sliding doors on both the left and right sides

A&D Electronic Balances that Support the AD-1676 Desktop Breeze Break (M)

AD-1676 Product Page

A&D Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Tokyo, Toshima Ward, Representative Director and President: Yasunobu Morishima) has launched the new AD-4976 series of metal detectors, which are capable of detecting foreign metallic matter in food with a high level of sensitivity by taking advantage of a variety of features, such as multi-frequency support, and further increases the lineup of metal detectors that comply with the HACCP management system, which will be implemented from June 2020.

Key Features of AD-4976 Series Metal Detectors

  • Multi-frequency support
  • Compatible with dry products, wet products, aluminum vapor deposition packages, and packages containing oxygen absorbents (optional)
  • Improved resistance to inverter noise
  • Improved vibration resistance
  • Noise disturbance visualization function
  • No need for warm up
  • Sensor head can be purchased separately
  • Easy operation due to the 7-inch color touch panel display
  • Washable and waterproof IP66 rated enclosure
  • Products can be inspected in 10 groups, with up to 100 products registered in each group
  • Images can be downloaded from a USB flash drive.

Product Page