The easiest way to determine if your industrial scale is as accurate as it is supposed to be is to test-weigh an object you already know the weight of. It’s as simple as that.
If the weight displayed by your scale is not what you know it should be, then you must figure out why your scale is delivering inaccurate results.
Recognizable Signs Your Scale Is Inaccurate
As the owner of an industrial scale, you should test the accuracy of your scale regularly, even if you don’t notice any obvious issues. However, over time it is inevitable that every industrial scale will begin to show signs of inaccuracy. This can be because of wear and tear, environmental changes, or malfunctions caused by shock loading or overloading. Here are a few ways you can quickly notice if your scale is producing inaccurate weight readings:
Creep—if an object is left on a scale platform for an extended period of time and the weight reading slowly increases or decreases, then this can be a sign of load cell failure or that something needs to be readjusted.
Nonrepeatability—when the same object is measured recurrently and the weight reading is not the same every time.
Make Sure You’re Weighing Objects Correctly
Before you jump to conclusions that your scale is broken or needs to be re-calibrated, ensure you are weighing objects properly. You can do this by making sure your scale is flat on a solid surface that is strong enough to support the weight of the scale and anything you put on it. Furthermore, confirm you are placing loads squarely on the scale and reasonably close to the center of the platform.
One thing you should look for if your scale is producing inaccurate readings is build-up under the scale. Oftentimes, dust and dirt builds up under scale platforms, and this can cause scales to produce inaccurate weight readings. Therefore, if this is the case with your scale, then you should clean your scale before testing for inaccuracies again.
Look For Obvious Problems
Let’s say you are weighing objects perfectly and there are zero signs of dust and dirt build-up, yet your scale is still producing inaccurate weight readings and you don’t know what the issue is. So, what’s next?
Arlyn Scales recommends clearing the space around your scale and testing various components of the scale. Basically, you want to make sure everything is intact and where it’s supposed to be. For example, keep an eye open for signs of moisture and test moisture levels in boxes, cables, and load cells if necessary. Also, look for any loose cables and make sure cables are undamaged and in the right spots. Furthermore, be cognizant of recent changes of temperature and other environmental factors that may be influencing the accuracy of your scale.
If you discover any of these issues to be the problem with your scale, then you can address the issue and hopefully fix your scale easily. But, if you’ve looked at every part of your scale and you still don’t know what the problem is, then you should adjust your scale and re-calibrate.
Arlyn Scales Makes Re-Calibration Simple
When you run into accuracy issues with your industrial scale, what you do next depends entirely on the scale you have and the company you purchased it from. Many scales come with self-calibration capabilities and Arlyn Scales is proud of the fact that all of our scales come with this feature.
As the owner of Arlyn Scales-manufactured industrial scales, you never have to call a professional to come in and take a look at your scales when you run into inaccuracy issues, because you can re-calibrate your scales yourself. Arlyn Scales provides our customers with a step-by-step guide for re-calibration. This saves our customers time and money. And, you can re-calibrate your scales as often as you want—whenever you think it’s necessary.
You Get What You Pay For
Another topic we should discuss is the quality of your scale. For the record, the accuracy of your scale depends primarily on its load cell(s). Essentially, load cells absorb the weight of objects placed on the scale platform and communicate the measurements as electrical signals to a digital indicator attached to the scale, where readings of the weight measurements are displayed. You must know that the load cells in your scale can only be as accurate as they are manufactured to be. Therefore, if you require a certain level of accuracy, then you must buy a scale that is capable of delivering the kind of accuracy you want.
Additionally, load cells can be made from different materials and some are more durable than others. For example, Arlyn Scales makes most of our load cells from stainless steel, because stainless steel can endure heavier weights than aluminum load cells and stainless steel is more resistant to damage from overloading and shock loading.
Avoid Inaccuracies With Arlyn Scales
Inaccuracy is tough to avoid indefinitely, but you can deter it if you buy quality-made scales from manufacturers that know what they are doing, like Arlyn Scales. Visit Arlyn Scales’ website today to view our full selection of industrial weighing scales.
Arlyn Scales’ products are designed and manufactured in 1 location: Long Island, New York. Every stage of production is completed in-house so we can ensure that the best materials are used to create our top-of-the-line industrial scales.
Whatever level of accuracy you need, you can find it with Arlyn Scales. Our selection includes every type of industrial scale, from high capacity Bench and Floor scales to low capacity High Resolution Scales. Check out our full selection today.
Contact Arlyn Scales
Reach out to Arlyn Scales with questions or comments by calling us at 516-593-4465 or filling out our online contact form. If you have questions regarding re-calibration or why scales produce inaccurate weight readings, then do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to working with you.
