Commercial weighing scales are instruments used to measure the weight of commodities sold by increments of weight. These instruments are critical to the processing industry, which requires consistent and highly accurate measurements. Many sectors of the processing industry require commercial weighing scales from food production to fertilizer to pharmaceuticals.
How Do Commercial Weighing Scales Help the Processing Industry?
Let us take a quick look at food production. Most processed food products, such as candy, potato chips, and cereal are sold by weight. The entire packaging process is automated. So a commercial weighing scale measures the empty packaging material first. Once the food has been added to the packaging material, the total package is weighed to ensure compliance with the manufacturer’s standards. Similar processes occur in other segments of the processing industry. The accuracy of the scales is, therefore, imperative to ensure conformity, quality, and cost control.
Selecting Commercial Weighing Scales
There are several important considerations you need to make when selecting commercial weighing scales. One of the most important factors is considering the environment where the scale will be placed? Is the environment dry, damp, or explosive? Most of the less expensive commercial weighing scales do not contain adequate protection against moisture, which is one of the main reasons scales fail. If you are working in a food industry specifically, you’ll want to buy a commercial weighing scale that has a hygienic finish and IP-rated sealing. Buying a scale with ingress protection will save you a lot of money long term if the scale will be placed in a potentially damp area. If you will be placing your commercial weighing scale in an area that has been zoned and rated hazardous, you will have to purchase an explosion-proof scale. These are also called intrinsically safe scales. There are two types of explosion-proof scales: Zone 1 and Zone 2. Zone 1 scales have an extra protection rating and are, therefore, more expensive. Zone 2 scales should never be placed in an area rated Zone 1.
What is the maximum weight you want to weigh? When considering this factor, don’t forget to include any TARE weights you might need. If, for example, you have goods that weigh 1,000 pounds stacked on a pallet, a 1,000 pound scale won’t be sufficient. You must also take into consideration the weight of the pallet.
What size scale do you require? Do you need to weigh items that are two feet by two feet, or do you need to weigh full pallets?
Finally, what type of scale do you need? There are many types of commercial weighing scales, from crane scales, which weigh items hanging on a hook from a crane, to platform scales, which sit on the floor and weigh very large items, to bench scales, which are typically small enough to sit on a counter.
