In the past, maintaining industrial scales was expensive and time consuming. Keeping up with the necessary maintenance requirements of industrial scales varies greatly by manufacturer.
At Arlyn Scales, we’ve worked extremely hard to design and build scales that require as little maintenance as possible to ensure that you’re not commonly dealing with downtime due to scale problems.
BRIEF HISTORY OF ARLYN SCALES
Arlyn Scales has been in the business of building industrial scales for over 35 years. During this time, we’ve seen many scale manufacturers fall short when it comes to satisfying their clients. At Arlyn Scales, we look at scale design and manufacturing much differently than many of our competitors.
Early on, we chose to utilize a factory direct business model where our scales are designed and manufactured in our Long Island, New York factory. With a fully US- based design and manufacturing team we’re able to cut costs and sell our industrial scales directly to consumers. This allows our engineers to develop some of the most advanced scales in the industry at prices that our competitors aren’t able to match.
WHAT ABOUT SCALE CALIBRATION?
When some of our first time clients realize that we sell our scales factory-direct, they sometimes wonder about calibration. The reality is that many scale manufacturers require that you take your scale out of service to be calibrated because of their inferior technology. We’ve worked hard to develop a procedure that allows our clients to calibrate their scales without taking them out of service.
ARLYN SCALES CALIBRATION PROCESS
Prior to calibrating your scale, you need to ensure that it actually needs to be calibrated. To do so, it’s important to see if any of the following conditions exist:
1. Zero Reading – In this scenario, you have placed an object on the platform of your industrial scale, but the weight on the scale’s digital indicator does not move or fluctuate. A few troubleshooting steps that you can take to remedy this issue include:
a. Ensure that the shipping screws were removed from the scale platform.
b. If you have a platform scale, make sure all of the legs are level and making contact with the floor.
c. Make sure that all of the legs are screwed in sufficiently. If the legs are screwed in properly, another item to check is to make sure a stud isn’t contacting the underside of the scale platform causing the load sensor to not be able to flex.
2. Fluctuating Weight Readings – If you attempt to weigh an object and notice a changing reading that will not settle, perform the following troubleshooting steps:
a. Make sure the scale is not located on a vibrating surface or is exposed to air currents.
b. Make sure the scale is plugged into a clean power source and ensure that there are no nicks on the power cord. You can also unplug the power cord to ensure that no pins are missing.
c. Certain electronics like computers, cell phones, walkie-talkies and electric motors can possibly cause interference with certain industrial scales. Ensure these devices are turned off if you’re experiencing odd behavior.
3. Differing Weight Readings in Different Areas – If you find that your scale yields different weight values when an object is placed on different areas of the scale, try the following troubleshooting steps:
a. Make sure all of the legs of the scale are level.
b. Check to make sure one of the legs is not screwed in too tight, which could cause the load sensor to not be able to flex.
c. Ensure nothing is rubbing up against or interfering with the scale platform.
4. No Weight Shown on Correctly Scaled Corners – Make sure all legs are contacting solidly with the floor and ensure nothing is rubbing against the scale platform.
If you encounter any of the above scenarios with your scale, it may be time to perform a calibration. Use the following steps to calibrate your industrial scale:
1. Placement of Scale – Make sure you place your scale in an area with a constant temperature. The area should also be free of any vibrations and have no detectable air current.
2. Activate Calibration Mode – On the display indicator, navigate to the Set Up Menu. Next, select Platform Setups, and then choose Span Calibration; you will be asked for the test weight value.
3. Enter Value of Test Weight – When using a test weight during the process, you’ll want to use a weight that is within the scale’s capacity. We often tell our clients to use a weight that is 50% of their scale’s capacity. It’s important to not use weights that are less than 10% of the total capacity as this could result in an inaccurate calibration. Use the keypad to enter your target weight value.
4. Remove Objects from the Scale Platform – Ensure that the scale platform is cleared of all weight. Check to make sure nothing is rubbing up against the platform, all four legs are securely on the floor, and the legs are not screwed in so tightly that they could interfere with the flexing of the load sensor. Press the Enter key.
5. Press Calibrate on the Digital Display Indicator
6. Place Test Weight on Scale Platform – Place the test weight in the center of the scale platform. Wait for at least one second for the scale to stabilize. Next, press Enter. Once the scale has completed the calibration process, it will take you back to the scale’s Platform Menu.
NEVER IMPROPERLY LOAD A SCALE
Improperly loading a scale is one of the most common mistakes individuals make that can severely damage weighing equipment. Shock loading (dropping an object from a height onto a scale platform) or overloading can both damage a scale, causing inaccurate readings.
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT SCALE MAINTENANCE?
Due to the ruggedness of our scales, we’re able to sell them factory direct to our clients. Because of this unique arrangement, we’ve made sure that our scales can be calibrated in the field and that they require very little maintenance compared to other industrial scales. If you have any questions about maintaining one of our scales, don’t hesitate to contact our team today at 800-645-4301.
