Whether you manufacture fireworks, women’s make up, pharmaceuticals, vitamins, ink, semiconductors, computers, soaps, fertilizer or a host of other products, chances are you use a variety of minerals in their composition.
However, some minerals such as gold, platinum, rhodium, coltan and lithium, among others, are extremely expensive. Measuring the amount of each mineral you want to use is an extremely delicate task because the slightest difference in weight can create big discrepancies in cost.
You’ll obviously want to be as accurate as possible, but what options do you have when it comes to high precision scales?
Strain Gage Scales Are Out
Strain gage scales are the most common type in this industry. However, they do not provide the high resolution, high precision measurements you need to weigh extremely small amounts of minerals. Readability is usually 1 part in 5,000.
What About Force Motor Scales?
Force motor scales have a higher accuracy and resolution than strain gage scales, which makes them precise enough to weigh minerals. Yet they also come with an extremely high price tag that makes them an unrealistic option for many businesses, especially those that require multiple scales. They’re also extremely sensitive instruments that are better suited to laboratories and clean rooms than industrial and manufacturing environments.
Industrial Strength, Laboratory Precision
Our Ultra Precision Scales feature an internationally patented technology called surface acoustic wave, or SAW technology. Providing better accuracy at higher resolutions, it is the perfect solution for companies who have struggled to find reasonably priced scales that can accurately measure a small quantity of minerals.
To compare, a regular 100 lb capacity scale has a resolution of 0.02 lb while a 100 lb Ultra Precision Scale has a resolution of 0.001 lb. The accuracy of our ultra precision scales is ten to twenty times better than that of a regular scale. Generally, a regular scale will provide accuracy in the 0.1% range while a SAW scale is between 0.01% and 0.005%.
The chart below allows you to compare the resolution of our Ultra Precision scales and standard strain gage scale models. While strain gage scales serve the needs of a majority of businesses, more sensitive weighing applications (such as weighing expensive minerals) requires the fine resolutions SAW technology provides.
| Capacity | Resolution of a SAW Scale | Resolution of Strain Gage |
| 10 | 0.0001 | 0.002 |
| 25 | 0.0002 | 0.005 |
| 50 | 0.0005 | 0.01 |
| 100 | 0.001 | 0.02 |
| 500 | 0.005 | 0.1 |
The readability of a scale is its displayed resolution. The displayed resolution is simply the ratio of capacity to readability. So essentially you’re determining the number of unique increments the scale can read to. So while strain gage scales have a readability of 1 part in 5,000 (10 / 0.002 = 5K), our Ultra Precision Scales provide an unparalleled readability of 1 part in 100,000 (10 / .0001 = 100K).
This makes them perfect for ensuring that your costs stay as low as possible, even when using more expensive minerals during your production processes.
Designed for use in difficult industrial situations, these scales may provide extremely sensitive readings but you don’t have to be extra careful when you use them. They can accept up to 2.5 times the rated load without being damaged. So no matter what you may have going on in the background, these scales will perform at their optimal level.
And while the weight measurement of both strain gage and force motor scales can be affected by changes in temperature, our Ultra Precision Scales reduce this problem dramatically; readings will change less than 3 parts per million for each change in temperature of 1¡C.
Keeping Accurate Records is Important, Too
If you’re handling expensive minerals, an accurate inventory will be of the utmost importance. How you share your inventory data is entirely up to you. We can equip your scale with Wi-Fi or Cloud compatibility, Ethernet, USB, 4 Ð 20 ma, RS-232 and a variety of other systems communication methods.
If you need to use your ultra precision scale as part of an automated process, we can even install our setpoint controller. This device allows you to set up to 8 target weight values that can be used to control other pieces of equipment such as feeders, mixers, motors, valves, and solenoids. Turn them on, shut them off, or set up an alert system that lets you know when you’re running low on materials.
Through the use of the setup menu, formulas can be input to control how these output lines behave based on the weight applied to the scale platform. You can save hundreds of formulas thanks to the scale’s large internal memory and recall them as you need them.
Only Available from Arlyn Scales
Because our SAW load cells are internationally patented, these ultra precision scales are only available from Arlyn Scales. However, this does not mean an inflated price. On the contrary! We’re a factory direct business, so we manufacture all of our scales and their subassemblies in our New York factory.
This means we’re able to provide you with a higher quality product at an extremely competitive price. Eliminating middlemen such as distributors and importers gives us the resources we need to invest in the research, design, and development of our products while providing substantial discounts for our customers.
What Scale Best Meets Your Needs?
If you’re unsure whether or not you need an ultra precision scale or if a standard scale will meet your needs, if you’d like to learn more about our SAW technology, or are interested in incorporating the technology into an OEM solution you’re building, contact us today.
We’re here to answer all your questions and help guide you to the scale that best meets your needs Ð and your budget!
