Portable industrial scales are ubiquitous in almost every manufacturing organization. A range of different types of weighing equipment is used in various applications. You may see industrial pallet scales in agriculture, or in the transport industry for delivering packages. Even doctors may use them in hospitals or nursing homes, complete with ramps to assist wheelchair-using patients.
Are you having a hard time choosing between portable counting, floor, or platform scales? Let us go into the benefits and tradeoffs of different digital weight indicators.
A great number of industrial scales have the appropriate features for business applications. They also meet industry standards while accommodating maximum capacity. Once you know the difference between large cranes and portable floor scales, you can make an informed decision.
Benefits Of Portable Weighing Equipment
At times when an item needs to be weighed, it makes more sense logistically to take the scale to the item, rather than the other way around. Scales are being designed and produced to make that a viable and affordable possibility. There is now one to fit almost any foreseeable need.
High Accuracy
In an ideal world, weight measurements come from a precision scale and at the same time be heavy-duty and high capacity. As with most things in life, you can’t have everything. High-quality industrial scales using high-quality stainless steel load cells can provide the level of accuracy needed for legal trade scales, but they cannot go beyond this level.
Arlyn’s ultra-precision scales use surface acoustic wave (SAW) technology to achieve the best of all worlds. The accuracy achieved is more than ten times better than other scales. Scale capacities are available from 10 lb all the way to 1000 lb.
Durability
It just makes sense that a high accuracy, high technology scale would be more prone to damage from rough use and abuse. But that is not the case with ultra-precision bench scales and ultra-precision platform scales.
Utilizing ultra-reliable semiconductor processing and large block load cells, these scales hold up to difficult industrial environments. These can include ones with high amounts of moisture or extreme temperatures.
Varying High Capacities
High accuracy often implies low capacity, but that is not the case with SAW scales. A premium industrial scale with a capacity of 1000 lb would typically offer a sensitivity of 0.2 lb. Arlyn’s ultra-precision 1000 lb scale provides a sensitivity of 0.01 lb, delivering ten times the capacity and sensitivity.
Super Sensitivity
Once again turning to a premium bench scale, but with a capacity of 5 kg, the typical sensitivity is 1 gram. Choosing the equivalent premium SAW scale, the capacity remains at 5 kg, but the sensitivity is 0.05 g. This is twenty times better.
Weight Resolution
The industrial application will usually dictate the resolution required. You may have large pallets to transport or tinier packages to store. A pallet scale with a capacity of 20,000 lb does not need a resolution of 1/100 of an lb. On the other hand, a 1 lb laboratory scales feature a resolution of at least 4 decimal places.
Types of Portable Scales For Industrial Applications
Just as each situation requires different weight resolutions, each also requires the correct type of industrial scale for the job at hand. A factory floor with corrosive liquids requires corrosion-resistant scales. An application where a PLC controls a process requires a scale with a Modbus interface.
Counting Scales
Counting large numbers of small parts is difficult, and often imprecise. Parts counting scales prompt the user to hand count a small sample of parts and place them on the scale platform. The scale can calculate the weight of an individual component, and then determine the total number of parts when a large quantity is placed on the scale.
Bench And Floor Scales
The mid-range of industrial scales encompasses bench scales and floor scales. Your selection should be accurate while fitting your established weighing systems.
Floor scales are designed to weigh heavy goods or objects. They can work in tandem with pallet jacks and forklift operators within warehouses. You can choose to have a portable floor scale measure in either the metric or customary system.
Both styles may be outfitted with cranes, ramps, or rechargeable battery packs to enhance their portability. Data communication by WiFi is a great way to maintain that, especially for industrial floor scales.
Explosion-Proof
Explosive environments can make the weighing process a difficult one. They can cause disruptions and fluctuations in mass or weight or even damage equipment. To make the process easier many scales have been made to meet the different hazardous area divisions, groups and classes.
These intrinsically safe scales provide great weight resolution. Some are capable of 0.002 lb resolution. This scale also boasts no moving parts to make for an easy maintenance measuring tool.
Crane Scales
Some items are too bulky to easily place on a scale platform. Mounting them via crane can reduce potential operator injuries or damage to the pallets. Crane scales allow these parts to hang from the bottom of the scale. Capacities of up to 20,000 lb are available, to handle heavy-duty operations.
Weighing Applications For Portable Precision Scales
The most common reason to use a portable scale is with large factory floors. A scale may not be needed often at every station, depending on the setup. This would preclude the expense and floor space that they would require. A few scales can be moved into the position on an as-needed basis only.
Choices, Accuracy, And Performance Are Good Reasons To Contact Arlyn Scales
When you need a scale manufacturer that understands the need for factory-calibrated accuracy, you can trust our experts. Arlyn Scales provides the ideal solution for suitable industrial weighing, within different industries. We see high-quality material, including stainless steel, for production and performance.
Some other good reasons are the expertise they can provide, and the factory-direct prices of their platform floor scales. Let them know what you need. They are sure to come up with an excellent choice of portable scales for you. Weigh items with peace of mind, with items that are legal for trade.
