Finding the right scale for the job is tougher than it sounds. Sure, you can go out and buy a floor scale that can weigh anything up to 20,000 lbs., but if you’re looking for something to help you count components for the semiconductor industry, you might be able to find something a little more suited to your needs. The best way to find the best scale for you is to start thinking about what you need.
- Do you need something that weighs a maximum of 10 lbs or 1,000 lbs., or almost any other value?
- How fine a resolution do you need?
- How accurate does your scale need to be?
- How big should the scale platform be?
- Will you be using the scale in a powered environment or will you need a battery?
- Would you like the scale to be connected to your computer?
- Would you like to automate any batching, filling, or dispensing procedures when using the scale?
At Arlyn Scales, we have been thinking about the answers to the above questions for years. It’s what has helped us stay ahead of the competition for the past thirty years. We use these questions to help us design scales that meet our customers various needs. If you need a scale to work in your lab or a scale to use for your waste management needs, we have scales that work for each. Our scales are manufactured in Long Island, New York where we also have our corporate offices. By having both buildings next to each other, we are able to ship factory direct to our customers and save them a great deal of money since distributors aren’t marking up the price. We save money by shipping directly to you as well, and we take the savings and invest them right back into the scales you are buying. You will be getting a higher quality product at a price that our competitors can’t hope to achieve.
Required Capacity
One of the first things you should think about when selecting your scale is what kind of capacity you need. Should you be working with lower capacities, our bench scales would be an excellent match. They are the workhorse of scales and can be used for a variety of purposes such as weighing pharmaceuticals, shipping and packaging calculations, small piece part counting, etc. The bench scale capacity starts at 10 lbs and you can purchase models that will weigh up to 150 lbs. Should you work in an industry dealing with large capacities, our floor scales can weigh up to 20,000 lbs in our standard models. Plus these scales have an extremely low profile and can come with ramps for easy loading and unloading. Should you require something less than that but still need something with sizeable capacity, we sell platform scales that range from 500 lbs. to 1,000 lbs. The key to choosing the right capacity is to determine the weight of your heaviest loads and choose the lowest capacity over that number. Say your heaviest loads are around 800 pounds. You would do best with a 1,000 pound capacity platform scale.
Needed Resolution and Accuracy
Another very important thing to think about it how precise your measurements must be. If you are dealing with chemical formulation, you will want a scale with a high resolution and accuracy. We would recommend using one of our Ultra Precision scales, which feature Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) technology. The SAW load cells in these scales measure displacement instead of stress and can deliver extremely fine resolutions, up to .0001 pounds for a 10 lb scale, ranging up to .005 lb for capacities up to 500 lbs. If you do not need this kind of accuracy and resolution, we recommend using our strain gauge scales. They are actually better than other strain gauge models because we manufacture them in-house using stainless steel load cells, which greatly increases their accuracy and abuse resistance.
Platform Size
Now you could have the scale with the right capacity, but what use would it be to you if you couldn’t get your loads on the platform? Whatever you are going to weigh, you will need to think about how that impacts your platform size choices. Additionally, and especially, if you are weighing high capacity items, you will want to think about the platform profile. A high platform profile will mean that you will need to lift that heavy weight even higher onto the platform. Those kinds of loads can cause on the job accidents that can be avoided with a low platform profile that enables easy movement of the load on and off of the platform.
We’ve got the Power
Something else you will need to consider is whether you will ever be taking the scale into a work environment where there will not be a power source. If so, you do not need to worry. We sell an internal six cell, rechargeable NiMH battery pack. It can be operated for more than a 20 hour period without another power source. We will also make sure that we install a peak detector circuit in the indicator so you can monitor the life of the battery.
Computer Connectivity
Should you require it, Arlyn Scales can set your scale up to be connected to a Windows based PC or laptop. We offer our Windows Interface Software that will allow you to connect to the scale via a USB connector cable. Should you require a little more mobility, we can set the scale up with our Remote Indicator Software and then you will be able to connect to the scale via an Ethernet wired network or a Wi-Fi network. In either case, you will be able to monitor the scale’s performance and issue commands to it from your computer. You will also be able to import weight data from the scale to your hard drive. Once the data has safely migrated, you will be able to analyze it using MS Excel or MS Access.
Setpoint Controller
If you find yourself using your scale for various types of formulation (chemical, pharmaceutical, paint mixing, etc.), you may want to consider the setpoint controller. This device will allow you to enter up to 8 weight values that, once the value is reached, can shut on or off (via solid state relays) dispensing pumps. This can enhance productivity, batch consistency, and eliminate human error in these types of processes.
Arlyn Scales Customer Service
Whatever your needs may be, you can relax knowing that our customer support staff will be able to help you find the most appropriate scale for you at a price you can afford. Should you find that our standard models don’t quite work for you, we are happy to talk with you and design a custom solution that does. Use the form on our Contact Us page or call (800) 645-4301 for help selecting the scale you actually need.
