Heavy industries require heavy duty equipment that holds up to the rigorous environments and the steady demands to perform well. Arlyn Scales products are built to withstand the most harsh conditions while delivering reliable weight data that can be easily incorporated into automation systems. Two kinds of load cell technologies are used in Arlyn Scales, the strain gauge technology and the Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) technology. Strain gauge load cells are made from a special alloy of stainless steel, unlike other brands of scales that use aluminum or carbon steel.
Strain Gauge Load Cells
Strain gauge load cell technology involves the bending of a load cell component as weight is applied to the scale. This bending changes the electronic resistance characteristic of the Wheatstone Bridge component, and this change is measured. The analog output signals of the Wheatstone bridge is sent into an AD converter, in which the analog signals are converted into digital values.
High Capacity with High Accuracy
The quality of Arlyn Scales load cells is such that a high degree of reliable accuracy is achieved. At a 2,500 pound capacity, the scales are readable to 0.5 pound. At the 5,000 pound capacity, the scales are readable to 1.0 pound, at 10,000 pounds to 2.0 pounds, and at 20,000 pounds to 5.0 pounds. These are remarkably fine resolutions in the scale marketplace, up to 20 times finer than other brands.
Stainless Steel Load Cells
All of Arlyn Scales strain gauge load cells are made of stainless steel, as opposed to the use of aluminum or carbon steel in other scale brands. Stainless steel helps to achieve and maintain the high resolutions all through the service lives of our scales. Another benefit is that the load cells will not corrode, no matter how harsh the heavy industrial environment becomes. Mounting them in machined chambers in the scale frame, rather than bolting them to the bottom of the frame, further protects the load cells.
Four Load Cells per Scale
All of our larger model scales are assembled with four load cells per scale, and they are mounted in the corners of the scaleÕs frame for better stability. As loads are moved on and off the scale, lateral forces are introduced that throw weight readings off and contribute to early load cell failure. Our design eliminates lateral forces, thereby extending the service life of our scales.
Electronically Matched Load Cells
We have engineered our load cells to be electronically matched for each scale. This means that the signals coming out of each load cell match those coming out of the other three. By doing this, we eliminate supporting electronics that are used in other scale brands to balance their load cell output signals. We have simplified our design by not introducing the problem in the first place.
SAW Load Cells
Our SAW load cells raise the bar for scale accuracy by several notches. Our most accurate scale line reports weight to .0001 pound resolution. Our highest capacity SAW scale handles up to 500 pounds with a .005 pound resolution. While our strain gauge load cells are remarkable, these resolutions at these high capacities have been previously unavailable at affordable pricing from any scale manufacturer. We have broken through the 50-pound capacity limitation for very high accuracy scales at a cost comparable to high-end strain gage scales.
Breaking the 50-pound Capacity Limit of High Precision Scales
The way we have broken through the 50-pound capacity limitation is by using SAW in our Ultra Precision Scales. The basic construction of a SAW load cell does not differ much from that of a strain gauge load cell. A component in the load cell bends when weight is applied to the scale, but this component in a SAW load cell is thicker, so it does not bend nearly as much. Using electrical resistance in this technology is entirely out of the question because of the very slight bending. There would not be enough change in resistance to actually measure the weight placed on the scale. However, SAW technology does measure the change through two SAW transducers mounted on the bending component. The transducers issue waves in a sender-receiver manner that operates at a high grequency. A feedback loop develops, and the frequency changes in this loop are then measured to detect weight.
The end result is our seemingly unbelievable accuracy with high weight capacities.
Incorporating Arlyn Scales Products
We have a great deal of experience with incorporating our scales into all kinds of industrial settings, including automated systems. All of our scales have digital connectivity options for any kind of situation or automation system. A USB datalogging option allows you to collect weight data to a flash memory device for later uploading to a computer. The RS-232 option allows direct connection of a computer for data acquisition and scale control. The RS-485 option allows the networking of up to 10 scales, and the wired Ethernet option allows a wired connection to a network. The Wi-Fi option brings in a wireless network connection.
The weight data can be stored in CSV files, which can be easily imported into any business or production software system. We also offer free software that will automatically import weight data into Excel spreadsheets or Access databases.
Contact Us
Our sales reps are standing by to further explain our various scale technologies and to help you select one that meets your unique needs. If one of our standard models doesn’t meet every need, we can craft a custom solution that will. To get in touch today, give us a call at (800) 645-4301 or use the form on the Contact Us Page of this site. We look forward to providing you with a quality weighing solution that meets all your needs and your budget. Get in touch today!
