Taxes are collected on trade items based on weight. Weigh stations also help the government monitor how heavy trucks are passing through the country to ensure that vehicles stay safe on the road. To ensure your company is following Measurement Canada standards, you need an accurate axle scale at your facility.

Typically, scales measure in two elements: axle weight and gross weight. Axle weight refers to the total weight carried by each axle of the truck, while gross weight refers to the total weight of all axles. To measure properly, you need a truck scale. These scales are designed specifically to handle the substantial weight of a large-scale truck, including cargo, and work year-round. When shopping for truck scales in Alberta, you will notice that you have multiple types. Therefore, you need to know what you are looking at, what applications work for what types of scales, and the choices available. The Different Types of Truck Scales in Alberta You Can Buy There are three main types of truck scales. Each type has their use; therefore, pick a scale based on your specific application.

1. Load Cell Scale – The load cell scale is the most common type. Each cell is constructed from steel or another type of strong material. Then, a strain gauge is placed inside the cells with wires. These wires transmit a current and measure the weight based on the compression of the cells. Then, it calculates the weight of the object based on compression. Load cells are typically used on platform scales.

2. Bending Plate Scale – Using a series of metal plates and gauges, these plates measure the stress applied to them to decide the weight of the object. The sum of the stress on each plate is added for a total weight. Bending plates are best if you can bring your trucks to a full stop for weight.

3. Piezoelectric Scale – Using a series of piezoelectric sensors, the pressure on the scale that is altered sends voltage through the electrical conductor. The sensors measure the voltage and calculate total weight based on the voltage amount.

Which Scales Make Sense for Your Business? Deciding between these three main types comes down to your needs specifically. If you want trucks to drive over the application, and install it permanently so that you have a seamless integration, consider pad scales. Pad scales can be installed above or below ground for pit-installed weights. Accurate/Western Scale Co. Ltd. offers pad axle scales, portable truck scales, and even side rail truck scales so that you can find the right application for you. We proudly carry scales for Swift Current customers, and we offer maintenance packages so that you can maximize your investment. Contact our sales professionals today at 403-250-3232 to review your options for scales in Swift Current. You may also request a quote for new truck scales in the Alberta area by filling out this online contact form.

When a product is being weighed either for materials added to a batch or for distribution, it is imperative that the scale to be used is correctly calibrated. The value of inspections and regular precision scale calibration is that it ensures you get the most out of your facility’s scale.

After all, a product that costs $10 per pound with an average of 1,000 pounds weighted on the scale comes out to $10,000 in value. If the scale had a calibration issue of 0.5 percent, that would cost your company $50 per day. Eventually, that $50 per day adds up in losses that will significantly impact your bottom line. When is the Proper Time for a Precision Scale Calibration Precision scales are highly accurate, but still require proper calibration at regular intervals and maintenance to operate at peak performance. Deciding when to calibrate is easy when you know the signs to look for, and also the requirements. Consider the following when thinking about when to schedule your Precision Scale services:

• Legal for Trade – If your business buys or sells products based on weight, you are required to calibrate your scales. You must meet all weight scale requirements and standards set by Measurement Canada. Your company is likely to be inspected, and if your scale is found to be out of calibration or tolerance, you may be required to shut down until your scales meet the proper requirements.

• Time and Use Factor – The longer and more frequently your scale is used, the more it is likely to face calibration issues. After all, time and use affect accuracy. The error, at first, might be minor. However, that mistake margin will continue to grow. If you weigh thousands or even hundreds of products per day at a capacity of 50 percent or more, then you should have your scale calibrated quarterly – ideally, monthly.

• Movement of Scales – How often do you relocate your scale in your facility? If you move your scales around frequently, this will affect the calibration.

• Environment – The environment of your scales also matters. If they are used in a packing production environment or subjected to moisture and cold temperatures, they require more frequent calibration than dry conditions.

Schedule servicing for your Precision Scales with your Certified Local Professionals Your company cannot risk having a scale that is out of calibration. A few percentages off will eventually turn into hundreds of dollars of potential profit lost. At Accurate/Western Scale Co. Ltd. we have service team members who are highly skilled and have completed training in the latest electronic scales. For your precision scale needs near Swift Current, have our team come to your location monthly or quarterly to inspect and calibrate. We ensure that all units are to specifications required by the Weights & Measures Act, and we can do on-site installations for scales and other measurement devices when necessary.

Contact our technicians today at 403-250-3232 to schedule a service or calibration for your precision scales. You may also request a quote online for a new precision scale by filling out our contact form.

As a Plant manager, you are constantly on the lookout for ways to improve your plant efficiency and accuracy. To remain profitable, you need to ensure that your operation works faster, but without sacrificing quality control. With the use of intelligent scales, such as a batching scale, you can do just that.

• Combat Production Inefficiencies – When a plant operates based on weight, having a batching scale can reduce the amount of time your team needs to measure out products. With a batching scale, they simply add to the scale to meet the batch weight, and then move to the next step. It eliminates the risk of inefficient counting or inaccurate measuring.

• Easy Integration – An automatic batching system easily integrates with your in-house PLC systems.

• Easy to Use – You do not want to deploy a system that requires extensive training. So when you purchase an electronic batching scale, employees do not need to learn a complex system. Instead, they simply push a button, and the machine is programmed to do the rest.

• Maximize Your ROI – As a business owner, you naturally want to see a return on any investment you make. When you reduce batching and mixing errors or the number of bad batches you must discard, you are improving your ROI instantly.

• Quality Defense – When employees are producing products in high quantities, you want to ensure that every product meets your quality specifications. With batching scales, you have a quality defense measure in place that prevents bad batches and reduces the likelihood a client will receive a subpar product from your company.

Remember Batching Scale Servicing is Equally Important
There are benefits to having batching scales in Calgary plants, but your scale is only as accurate and efficient as the maintenance you put into it.

To ensure your scale is measuring correctly, you need to have it serviced regularly. The team at Accurate/Western Scale Co. Ltd. can provide you with periodic maintenance and servicing. Furthermore, we are a local batching scale supplier, so we carry a full range of scales to suit every warehouse need.

Whether you are looking to add a scale to your facility or you would like to replace your scale with newer technology, we can help you find the right one based on your budget and needs.

Call us at 403-250-3232 to learn about our batching scales. You can also complete an online contact form for quotes on batching scale renting and servicing.

You know that using counting scales will help your business save time and money. While they are effective, they are only useful when purchased correctly. If you are shopping for scales in Red Deer or surrounding areas, it is imperative you know what to look for, what your measuring and counting needs are, and then find a company that follows the Weights and Measures Act.

Useful Tips for Purchasing Counting Scales and Using Them Even a high-quality, top-of-the-line counting scale will fail your business if it is not used correctly or it is used in a warehouse that should be using a different model. So, before you make the investment, consider the following tips:

• Items Must Be Uniform Weight – A counting scale measures items of the same weight and tells you the product or item count. Therefore, you need all the elements of uniform weight when measuring.

• Do Not Purchase a Counting Scale with a High Weight Capacity – If you only measure ten pounds of products at a time, there is no reason to have a 75-pound capacity counting scale. Only purchase the maximum counting capacity you need to ensure accurate results. Also, the higher the capacity, the lower the sensitivity of that scale.

• Compliance with the Weights and Measures Act – If your business requires measuring devices, you must purchase one that is in compliant with the Weights and Measures Act. That means buying your scale from a company that is Measurement Canada certified, like Accurate/Western Scale Co. Ltd.

• Use the Right Sampling – When setting the parameters of your measurement, it is best that you use 10 to as many as 25 pieces. The larger the sample size, the better the count.

• Outside Sources Affect the Count – There are outside sources that might affect your count accuracies, such as vibrations on the warehouse floor, temperature changes, or a fan blowing on the scale. Be sure you place your counting scale in an area where it will not be distributed, and follow all manufacturer instructions for use and setup.

• Resolution – The higher the internal resolution, the higher the counting accuracy for a sample size provided to the scale. Therefore, look for a unit that has a high internal resolution and displayed resolution.

• Remote Scale – If you eventually have larger items to count, you may want to purchase an option that has a remote scale version. This allows you to add a floor scale and weigh larger components through your counting scale.

Counting Scale Servicing is Equally Important
In addition to purchasing the right counting scales in Red Deer, you must also have your scales serviced to maintain accuracy and stay in compliance with the Weights and Measures Act. Accurate/Western Scale Co. Ltd. is a Measurement Canada certified retailer. We not only sell a variety of counting and floor scales, but we can also service and repair.

Call us at 403-250-3232 to learn more about our counting scales. You can also complete an online contact form for information about numerous scale options.

A counting scale is a versatile tool that allows commercial and industrial warehouses to weigh and count products. If your facility does not have a counting scale, you might want to consider the investment; especially if you have products that require piece counting by hand.

Benefits of Counting Scales Businesses in Calgary and Red Deer
Counting scales provide you with accurate results, especially when you compare them to hand counting. Just some reasons more commercial and industrial locations are using this form of technology include:

1. Versatility in the Industrial Spectrum – Counting scales can be used for a variety of applications within your warehouse. For example, you can use them in your receiving department to ensure you received the number of parts you ordered. They may also be used for counting inventory, providing the correct number is in your shipping boxes before you send them to customers, and to provide the right number of parts are used to create another component.

2. Increased Speed for Counting – If you rely on hand counting, you know how long it can take one employee to count out the needed number of parts. With a counting scale, your employees add the parts to the scale, and it tells them how much more to add or how many to take off.

3. Accuracy – Hand counting is prone to errors. An employee might become distracted and miss a component or accidentally add too many to the shipping, which means lost inventory and revenue for your company. With a counting scale, you get highly accurate results in less time than manual counting.

4. An Inexpensive Investment – When you free up an employee’s time, you are already saving money. A counting scale in Red Deer is relatively affordable to purchase, and with the savings you gain by reducing wasted time, it is one that eventually pays for itself.

5. A Variety of Options – When shopping for your counting scale, you will notice that there is a range of choices available. You can purchase one that has a standard counting feature, or you can upgrade to a model that offers you three displays, including the weight, quantity, and sample weight count. You can also opt for a bright LCD display so that you can easily see the numbers and counts. Counting scale weight limits will vary, but you can find scales that hold over 100 pounds at a time.

Increase Longevity with Counting Scale Serving
After you employ counting scales in your Calgary warehouse, the next step is to ensure their longevity and have your counting scale servicing done regularly. To have your scale serviced, it is better to work alongside a Measurement Canada Accredited business, like Accurate/Western Scale Co., Ltd. We have certified inspectors that can service all counting scales used in your facility.

Call us at 403-250-3232 to learn more about our counting scale servicing team or to have your counting scales serviced in Calgary. You can also complete an online contact form for information about our scales in Red Deer and surrounding areas.

Any time you must carefully mix several various ingredients together, proportions must be exact. Batching scales are often used in food production, industrial manufacturing, and pharmaceutical laboratories where components are controlled and processed based on weight.

If your company has been manually weighing critical components, now is the time to learn about batch scales and see how you could dramatically improve accuracy and quality control. Batching Scales in Calgary: A Few Helpful Reasons to Buy One Now Batching scales are used in many Red Deer facilities because they are more accurate than manual measures. When quality control is critical, you cannot allow the potential for human error. Here are just a few facts to know about batching scales:

• Saves on Production Time: When components must be measured manually, an employee physically weighs them before discharging and processing. With batching scales, the time-consuming nature of weighing is eliminated, and with automated scales, a system automatically delivers the appropriate amount without human intervention.

• Scales Must Be Certified: When using batching scales for sales charged by weight, the scale must be certified and designated legal-for-trade. Most batch scales sold to commercial warehouses are certified. However, your company can have a private certification done.

• Suitable for Basic Batching: Industrial digital filling scales are ideal for basic batching. A separate point value is assigned per ingredient, and once that component reaches the point value, output ceases.

• Save Formulas for Faster Production: With the right digital filling scale, you can save formulas in the system so that you can batch out and produce products without having to reprogram each time you switch products.

• Multiple Component Capacity: Today, batching scales are much more advanced. They can handle various components for single product production at a time. To change products, you can upload the new specifications and weights via a USB port.

Add a Batch Scale to Your Production Line and See the Difference
Batch scales are more accurate than human measurements, and they can be customized to suit the needs of your production line. When you work in an industry that requires precise measurement, you need maximum accuracy while still saving time on production. At Accurate/Western Scale Co. Ltd., we can help. We carry an extensive selection of batch scales to suit almost any industry. If you need scale servicing on your Red Deer units, we can also perform preventative maintenance and repairs.

Learn more about our scale certifying and servicing options by calling 403-250-3232. You can also complete an online contact form to inquire about batching scales in Central and Southern Alberta, Southern British Columbia and Saskatchewan including Calgary and Red Deer.