THE MANY APPLICATIONS FOR BENCH SCALES
Bench scales are designed to take up a minimal amount of room while providing accuracy and durability in a variety of industrial and commercial environments. A legal for trade bench scale applications cover a wide range of industries and are built to withstand daily use in both wet and dry areas. This is vastly different from a truck scale, from size to the application. From the unique scale calibration method down to the load cells, bench scale systems are very versatile. This article will take a look at the different bench scale applications along with the scales mostly used in those industries. This article will help give more insight into the many weighing applications that are used on bench scales.
THE FOOD/BEVERAGE INDUSTRY
One of the biggest industries to use bench scales is the food and beverage industry. When looking at the various packages, you will notice there is always a weight printed on each package. The importance of an accurate and reliable bench scale in the food and beverage industry is important to ensure each package has the correct weight before being shipped out.
When looking for a bench scale to specifically weigh food, it is important to go with a company who has scales specifically with food production in mind. Food safety is essential to the entire process and a bench scale in a food production environment and having a scale designed to handle the constant cleaning. Sometimes there will be extra scale accessories like sealed electronic load cells or even a scoreboard or remote display to save space.
Usually in a food and beverage environment, the scale is usually made out of stainless steel, which is a material that can handle the extreme conditions that are thrown at it. They use this over a steel deck because of the type of service it requires. Usually the bench scale used in the food industry will have unique scale indicators and junction boxes to help prolong the lifespan and protect it from harsh environments.
RETAIL
The retail industry has a lot of different avenues where products are counted, weighed and shipped. In old jewelry stores, you could often see an analog scale used to weight gold or whatever was brought in. In retail the scale will typically be on more of the small side, so as to not take up a lot of real estate. Choosing the right scale for your operation will prove to be an invaluable asset, but it is good to understand which scale will be the best fit by knowing which part of retail you are operating in. For example, working at a parcel company that handles shipping and logistics will most likely have a different scale compared to one in a deli at a supermarket. The correct scale increases productivity and efficiency in your operation, thus ensuring a smooth running workflow.
INDUSTRIAL
In industrial and manufacturing settings, there is usually a large quantity of something that needs to be weighed (screws, bolts, etc). Because of the large quantity of objects needing to be weighed, a bench scale offers precision in a compact space. In manufacturing settings, scales need to be durable to handle the amount of measurements it needs to take daily. For these reasons, bench scales are popular devices for check weighing in the manufacturing industry. The design of the bench scale helps provide the manufacturing industry with consistent quality control. The scales that are typically used have a more heavy-duty design.
CHECK WEIGHING
In manufacturing shops, bench scales are ideal for weighing raw materials, counting pieces before packaging, or checkweighing during quality control. This usually occurs at the end of the production process. This helps to ensure that the packaging is the correct weight and that it is within the US requirements. Essentially you have to look at check weighing as the “policeman” on the packaging line. Check weighing is essentially the weight control center on a production line, and helps to protect from producing products that are either above the acceptable weight or below.
COUNTING
A counting scale can help you efficiently and accurately count a high volume of identical parts. Whether for incoming or outgoing goods, counting scales ensure you have exactly the number of parts you require. Counting bench scales can be used to count and weigh objects simultaneously. For example, when counting thousands of screws, the counting scale takes the weight on a single screw and then tracks the amount when a bulk weigh is performed. When it comes to counting bench scales, accuracy is a key component that cannot be compromised.
PHARMACEUTICAL
The pharmaceutical industry requires precision to ensure that the medications are effective and not simply a placebo. One wrong measurement, no matter how small the error, can have drastic consequences. Scale manufacturers understand that these scales require very careful handling, so they implement certain protectors to help avoid common problems that could arise. When choosing a bench scale (or lab balance) for weighing objects that require a precise amount, you want one that is able to detect very low weight measurements. The usage of bench scales in the Pharmaceutical industry is all about precise measurements and accurate counting.
CONCLUSION
The amount of industries that bench scales are used far exceeds what is listed in this article. The bench scale is a very versatile scale and due to its versatility they are able to service multiple industries and provide accurate weight measurements. At American Scale we strive to bring you informed and useful content on all things scale related. Be sure to check out our truck scale articles about truck scale foundation or how much do truck scales cost. We even have a guide to warranties. To learn more about bench scales, it would be good to check out our other articles such as “Bench Scale Basics'' and “How Much Does A Bench Scale Cost?”. These articles will help with the basics of bench scale ownership.