There are countless business sectors that rely upon – as part of their processes – the weighing of drums and their contents. This may be to ascertain the volume of the contents held within, or the gross or net weightceh
Typically, drums are used to hold liquids (especially when dealing with chemicals), and the weighing of liquids is more complicated than measuring solids, since the liquid’s container is also weigh
ed when put on a scale. This makes the whole weighing process more complex and, therefore, more time consuming. In order for your processes to run as smoothly as possible, you’re going to need your drum weighing efforts to be as efficient as possible.
Here are five tips that will help you improve your weighing processes.
1. Have the Right Tools for the Job
You’re going to want the most accurate results possible for the weighing process, and to do that you are going to want a set of scales that will provide those accurate results while making the task of weighing chemical drums as simple as possible.
Here at Arlyn Scales, we can provide you with a set of industrial scales that will help you do just that.
The 3200-SS series platform models are corrosion resistant thanks to its welded stainless steel construction. For durability the load cells are also of stainless steel.
One of the latest-and-greatest models get the job done superbly are the 3250 Drum Scales series. We have two models available, each with stellar dimensions of 3 ft x 3 ft and a ramp size of 3 ft x 1.5 ft.
Note the slight differences in the two models from this factory-friendly series:
| Model | Capacity | Resolution |
| 325D | 500 lb | 1/10 |
| 325M | 1,000 lb | 1/5 |
Both models come with several optional upgrades, including Ethernet and WiFi connectivity, label or thermal printing, options for indicators and USB functionality. In short, when it comes to weighing chemical drums, there’s no better way to improve your efficiency than investing in a 3250 Drum Scale from Arlyn Scales.
2. Subtract the Drum Weight as Efficiently as Possible
As mentioned earlier, weighing chemical drums instantly creates one issue – you will not want to include the weight of the drum within the measurements you take. This could lead to a long and time-consuming process – weigh the drum, decant the contents, weigh the empty drum and then make the vital calculation.
The drum scales as manufactured by Arlyn Scales have the ability to work out the weight of the drum without needing to empty the contents. This figure is then ‘magically’ subtracted from the overall weight of the drum to provide an accurate record of the drum’s actual contents.
What’s more, Arlyn Scales’ drum scales can store a series of accurate drum measurements for future uses, reducing weighing times even further and, in turn, increasing efficiency.
3. Keep Your Ramps and Platforms Low
If you invest in a drum scale then one problem your employees may face is getting the drums onto the scale in the first place. Typically, you may use an adapted pallet truck or fork-lift truck to load the chemical drum, or some other piece of material handling equipment that’s either powered or not.
The easier it is to load the drum, the quicker the entire drum weighing process will become. One important aspect of this is to keep the ramps and platforms leading up to the weighing platform as low as possible – the higher the ramp, the more effort and time it will take to get the drum into its desired position.
Importantly, the ramps provided by Arlyn Scales for our drum scales are less than two inches in height. These ramps are extremely sturdy and because they are low, they will not take up a great deal of space. Your employees will not have to use excessive force or strain to mount chemical barrels onto the scale, reducing the probability of injuries and increasing your efficiency.
4. Make Sure Your Scales are Sturdy Enough to Handle Large and Heavy Drums
Your production facility is likely to be a busy place, and the chances are… that’s the way you like it. The more work your employees get through, the bigger the profits you’ll be able to enjoy – that’s the idea, anyhow!
To that end, you’re going to want to invest in a drum scale that’s capable of withstanding a great deal of pressure. The constant movement-on and movement-off of drums can cause damage to inferior drum scales, leading to downtime, loss of earnings, high maintenance costs, repair bills and eventually, the expense of a full replacement.
All of the drum scales manufactured by Arlyn Scales are designed to stand the test of time and to survive even the busiest production environment. These drum scales are also designed to withstand a wide variety of industrial environments, with versions that will tolerate spills and the corrosive elements of even the harshest chemicals, including acids.
5. Save Time with Accurate Weight Readings and Connectivity
In the ‘good old days’ no doubt someone would be on hand with a piece of paper or ledger to note down the weight of a drum, and then pass it on to those who need to know once the weighing process had been completed. These days, things have moved on quite a bit. Enhanced software packages will help control your stock, inventory, incomings and outgoings and will even tell your employees exactly where each drum should be stored.
Of course, all this sophistication is useless without data, and you need to get data into your software systems as quickly as possible if you want to maximize your efficiency. That’s why with our scales we can provide both wired and wireless connectivity straight from the scale itself. This not only streamlines your data gathering processes, but it also reduces the risk of error if figures are entered that are inaccurate.
To learn more about what Aryln Scales can do to make the weighing of chemical drums more efficient for your company, all you need to do is contact us. Just pick up the phone and call us at 800-645-4301 or use our online contact form. We’re ready and willing to answer any question that you might have, and we’re always happy to help.
