5 scales that are used widely in the food industry

Scales are vital to the food industry and they’re used at virtually every step, from weighing grain with a truck scale to weighing customer purchases at the deli counter with a retail scale. Here’s a brief overview of five types of scales that play a crucial role in the food industry.

1. Truck scales
Truck and axle scales can be used to efficiently weigh and document inbound and outbound freight, for example incoming ingredients and outgoing finished goods. They’re useful for managing inventory and for billing purposes. They also ensure that overloaded trucks don’t go out onto the highway, where they might represent a serious hazard.

2. Floor and bench scales
Floor and bench scales are used widely for shipping, receiving and sorting inventory. They provide accurate measurement and are available in waterproof IP-rated stainless steel. These scales are highly convenient, especially in the food industry, because they make it possible to maintain impeccable sanitation standards through quick and frequent washings.

3. Belt scales
These scales attach onto a conveyor belt and can weigh individual boxes and containers as well as unpackaged food products. Since they weigh items while the belt is in motion, they can eliminate off-line weighing, a time-consuming step that tends to slow operations. Belt scales connect to label printers, computers and scanners and are used for managing inventory and for billing.

4. Checkweighers
These scales provide highly accurate real-time readings, ensuring that your finished goods are correctly weighed right down to the last decimal. This is essential for complying with governmental regulations and for maintaining client satisfaction and confidence. In addition, food-grade, stainless-steel checkweighers are designed to meet the food industry’s strict hygiene requirements.

5. Retail scales
Retail or price computing scales are essential for any food retailer that sells products by weight, such as grocery stores, delis, bakeries and candy shops. They feature dual LED displays, which allow both the operator and the customer to have product and pricing information. They integrate with label printers whose labels accommodate bar codes, ingredient lists, weight, dates, nutritional facts, logos and more.

Superior scales for the food industry in Alberta

If you need precision weighing equipment for your food processing or retail operation, turn to Accurate/Western Scale Co. Ltd. We distribute, install, service and calibrate a wide array of scales, including state-of-the-art truck, floor, bench, belt, hopper, retail scales and checkweighers. For more information about our products and services, get in touch with us.