Precisions scales have a wide range of applications. Finding the right one is a matter of understanding which features meet your needs. Here’s what you should keep in mind when selecting a digital precision scale.

Measurement units

The first thing to consider is whether you’ll need a scale that uses specialized units such as carats or grains. Determining which units you’ll need to use is a good starting point, as it’ll allow you to narrow down your selection. You should also factor in whether you’re likely to expand your scale’s applications in the long run.

Capacity

Determining the maximum weight the scale needs to handle is another way to narrow down your options. If you need to weigh bulk or large quantities — for instance, in commercial applications — you’ll need to select a scale with a higher capacity. It’s also important to consider the size of the materials you’ll be weighing, to make sure you select a scale with a large enough plate.

Accuracy and precision

Applications requiring high accuracy typically won’t need as much capacity. Weighing medical products or working in a laboratory setting will necessitate a highly accurate scale that can take exact measurements.

Some applications will also require a scale that’s highly precise. In this case, precision refers to how consistent a scale’s readout is, whereas accuracy refers to how closely the readout matches the actual weight of the object. Keep in mind that regulations apply to the accuracy of scales used for commercial applications.

Size and portability

Some scales need to be portable, especially when used for field work. However, since a host of environmental factors influence a scale’s accuracy, it’s important to make sure that portable models are recalibrated whenever they’re moved.

It’s also important to consider how the scale is powered. If you’ll need to use it in situations where you don’t have access to a power source, then selecting one with appropriate battery life is crucial.

Other features

Depending on the materials you work with and the measurements you need to perform, you may have to select a scale that can keep a record of measurements or enables recipe weighting or piece counting. Modern digital scales are versatile, but always keep in mind that there’s a trade-off between functionalities.

Scale experts in Calgary

Selecting the right precision scale is easier with the help of a professional. You can count on Accurate/Western Scale for reliable advice. Contact us today to get a free quote or to learn more about our services, including scale rental and repair.

A lift truck scale requires a substantial investment, but it’s a smart one. Despite higher upfront costs, they have numerous advantages over traditional floor scales. Here’s why your business might benefit from one.

You have limited floor space
If you’re a new or growing company, every bit of space is valuable. Even if you can dedicate some of your available footage to a floor scale, the traffic lanes used to access it will take up a lot more space than you may be able to truly afford. Switching to a lift truck scale will free up these lanes, allowing for more efficient use of your space.

You need to increase efficiency
Many businesses need to weigh materials and integrating the weighing step into the normal workflow instead of requiring the time-consuming diversions needed with floor scales can drastically improve efficiency. A material handling scale allows for weights to be taken during normal operations, which speeds up completion times.

You want a leaner operation
Because they reduce the number of steps involved in operations and reduce resource and space usage, lift truck scales are a smart investment for companies looking to streamline their operations. Increased efficiency and lower resource use translate to higher profit margins.

You want to reduce traffic
Heavy lift truck traffic reduces efficiency, increases costs and, most importantly, can pose serious safety issues. Floor scales directly contribute to this problem by requiring drivers to make unnecessary trips.

You want to keep your employees safe
Industries that use lift trucks often work with pallets. Equipping your trucks with scales will reduce the risk of overloaded pallet racking. Overloading the racking can compromise its structural integrity, leading to extremely costly accidents and severe or fatal injuries.

Equipping lift trucks with material handling scales ensures that workers know exactly how much weight is being put on the racking. It also eliminates the need for trips to the floor scale, which are time-consuming.

Industrial and commercial weighing solutions
Every business is different and choosing the right lift truck scale requires the help of an experienced professional. For all your industrial and commercial scale needs, trust Accurate/Western Scale. We’re accredited by Measurement Canada to perform regulation scale calibration and with 21 years of experience in the industry, you can rely on us to help with everything from installation to repairs. Contact us today to discuss your business’ needs or to learn more about the scales we offer.

In 2014 changes were brought to Canada’s Weights and Measures Act requiring that all weighing and measuring devices used for trade in Canada be certified. Every business is responsible for arranging for the certification of their equipment.

Choose an Authorized Service Provider

Only Measurement Canada inspectors and Authorized Service Providers can confer certification. The latter have been accredited by Measurement Canada; by working with them you kill two birds with one stone. For Authorized Service Providers not only certify scales, they’re also qualified to recalibrate scales that provide inaccurate measurements. In such cases, once the scale has been calibrated, certification can then be provided.

Why certification is important

The regulations on scale certification are in place to ensure, first and foremost, fair transactions in the marketplace. When a company’s weighing and measuring devices are certified, customers know they can trust the product and the business. In addition, it facilitates operations on the company’s end by preventing any issues arising from inaccurate measurements. When your weighing or measuring device has been certified, you’re provided with a certification sticker, which indicates to customers and inspectors your compliance to the legal standard. Failure to comply with regulations on scale certification can result in the following negative consequences:

• Equipment being taken out of service until the issue is resolved, resulting in interrupted operations
• Your business being subjected to fines
• Your business being subjected to a closure
• Your company’s image and reputation being negatively affected

Scale certification in Alberta

Looking for a trusted company to inspect and certify your weighing devices? Then trust the team at Accurate/Western Scale. We have four service personnel who have been accredited as scale inspectors by Measurement Canada. And our highly skilled technicians are able to provide you with efficient scale calibrations. The test weights we use for calibrations are all traceable standards and are certified by Measurement Canada. The weights we work with run the gamut from 1-gram weights used for laboratory balances to the 500-kilogram weights used for truck scales.

Scale certification and calibration is just a small part of what we do at Accurate/Western Scale. Based in Calgary, Alberta, we’re one of the largest scale manufacturers in Canada, and we supply and install a large range of scale equipment, including hopper, tank, truck, rail and axle scales. Our service area includes Calgary, Swift Current and other towns and cities across Alberta and Western Canada. Contact us today for more information.

Regularly weighing livestock has become an integral part of modern animal farming. It provides farmers with useful data for a number of key management decisions. Here are five advantages you enjoy when you use a high-quality animal scale on your farm.

1. Close monitoring of your animals health

When an animal falls sick, it can be a long time before you notice any outward changes in its appearance or behaviour. Weighing an animal is one of the most effective methods for verifying its health. As soon as you notice a drop in an animal’s wait, you should have it looked at by a veterinarian. In the case of illness or disease, early treatment can cure the animal and help eliminate the risk of the illness spreading.

2. Smart breeding decisions

There are optimal weights for animals to breed at. By regularly weighing your animals, you’ll be able to have a more precise indication of when the right time to breed is.

3. Optimal feeding portions

Monitoring weight gain allows you to calculate feed conversation rates, which lets you know if you should increase or reduce feed. This information can also be used to determine when a change of diet would be beneficial.

4. Improved breeding strategy

Weighing livestock on a regular basis gives you a precise idea of which breeds gain weight the fastest. This allows you to make the most well-informed decisions when it comes to genetic selection (for instance, underperforming animals can be pulled out and the strongest performing animals can be cross-bred).

5. Optimal weaning time for calves

Regularly weighing calves allows you to identify the best moment to wean them. Weaning calves at the right time is important to ensuring that they are properly integrated into the herd. Moreover, this weight information can help you predict future growth of your calf.

By using an livestock scale, you’re sure to improve productivity on your farm. Just be sure that it’s a high-quality scale. If your weighing equipment doesn’t provide accurate information, it can do more harm than good. If you’re looking to obtain an animal scale in the Calgary area, Accurate/Western Scale can provide you with the very best. We offer a wide range of state-of-the-art multi and single animal scales.

When it comes to scale equipment, there’s no better source than Accurate/Western Scale. We supply and install a wide range of scale equipment, including hopper, tank, truck, rail, axle and livestock scales. We’re based in Calgary, Alberta, and our service area extends across Western Canada. For more information, give us a call.

If your hopper scale is malfunctioning, you can be confident that it’s an issue with the load cell. Load cells are extremely sturdy (some have weighing capacities of a million pounds or more), but there are four ways they can get damaged.

1. Damage caused by overloading

Not all load cells can handle seven-digit weights. Smaller portable ones, for instance, may have a capacity of only 1,000 pounds. When you buy a new hopper scale or have one custom assembled for you, you will be informed of the weighing capacity. If you overload the scale by surpassing this weight, you risk causing damage to the load cell.

2. Damage caused by moisture

The presence of moisture can negatively affect a load cell in two ways: it can come into contact with the electronic components, causing them to malfunction or it can lead to corrosion, which can harm the structural integrity of the load cell and cause a misreading. It’s important that you regularly check for moisture on your hopper scale. Especially if it’s an older one, for due to general wear and tear, it will be more susceptible to moisture infiltration.

3. Damage caused by chemicals

Contact with chemicals can damage a load cell and affect its electronic components or cause corrosion. The damage caused is likely to be extensive. Chemicals can heavily corrode a load cell and even destroy its components and structure.

4. Damage caused by electricity

Power surges and lightning strikes can cause significant damage to a load cell. This risk can be mitigated by grounding and shielding techniques and by ensuring that no outlets and circuits are overloaded.

What happens when my hopper scale’s load cell malfunctions?

The load cell can become defective in one or more of the following ways:

• The scale doesn’t calibrate
• The scale doesn’t reset
• Readings are inconsistent
• Readings don’t display
• Zero drift occurs

In some cases the hopper scale becomes entirely inoperable.

Hopper scales in Alberta

If you’re having issues with a hopper scale assembled by Accurate/Western Scale, don’t wait to reach out to us. All repair work is guaranteed on our weigh scale equipment. And due to the smart and simple design of our hoppers, replacing a load cell is never an issue.

For a hopper scale that is level, accurate, durable and made to your specifications, trust the experts at Accurate/Western Scale. We assemble hopper, tank, truck, rail and axle scales. And we can provide nearly any type of scale rental for individuals and businesses in Calgary, Alberta, and the wider region. Contact us today!