Why renting scales may be better for your business

If you work in the manufacturing, livestock, transport or material handling industries, chances are you know how important it is to have reliable and accurate scales for weighing products and raw materials. However, buying a professional-grade scale can be a large investment, especially if your business is just starting out or if you only need a scale on a temporary basis. That’s why at Accurate/Western Scale we offer industrial scales for rental as well as purchase to businesses in Calgary and nearby parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Here are some of the advantages of renting rather than buying scales for your business.
1. Low upfront costs
If you only need a scale on a one-off or short-term basis, renting a scale is much cheaper than buying one outright. However, before deciding to rent or buy, it’s important to do a cost-benefit analysis to see which option is a better business decision. Renting can end up costing you more in the long run if you rent over an extended period of time.

2. Professional service and maintenance
When you rent scales for your business, you don’t have to worry about taking care of maintenance. You can be sure that the scale will be delivered to you fully serviced and accurately calibrated, and any problems that arise will be dealt with by professional technicians, according to the conditions of your rental contract.

3. Short-term commitments
Renting allows you to test out different scales without having to commit to purchasing one right away. You’ll be able to figure out whether a certain model works for you and your business’s needs and try out different types of scales without having to spend the money to buy them. Renting can also be a convenient and affordable alternative if one of your scales suddenly breaks and buying a new one isn’t part of your current budget.

4. Improved operational efficiency
Having a quality scale can improve your business’s efficiency and productivity and lead to an increase in profits. When you rent, you’re able to jumpstart this growth without having to account for the large expense of buying a scale, which means you’ll have a higher net profit.

Whether you’re looking to rent or buy, Accurate/Western Scale can help you get the equipment you need for the right price. We’re proud to rent high-calibre counting, floor and crane scales to businesses in Calgary, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Swift Current and everywhere in between. To learn more about our products and services or request a free quote, contact us today.

Is your hopper scale system accurate?

Hopper scales weigh commodities stored in large containers. Like any industrial scale, hopper scales must repeatedly deliver precise and accurate readings. How do you know if your hopper weigh scale gives accurate results? Here’s some information on calibrating hopper scales.

 

Testing scale accuracy

Most industrial scales come with calibrating tools. However, in-house methods aren’t accurate enough to calibrate legal-for-trade scales. Nevertheless, it’s advisable to check your scales regularly. Here are some common ways to test your scale’s accuracy.

 

  • Calibration weights. Calibration weights are the most accurate way to check your scale. They eliminate variables because they have an unchanging mass. Remember always to use weights specified by the manufacturer. Place the weight on the load cell and take a reading: if the scale’s measurement doesn’t match the mass of the calibration weight, your scale isn’t accurate.

 

  • Comparison with another scale. If calibration weights aren’t available, use another scale for comparison — but only if you’re 100 per cent certain the other scale is calibrated correctly. Weigh an object on the calibrated scale and then weigh the same object on the scale that requires testing. If the measurements don’t match, you know your scale isn’t accurate.

 

  • Material substitute. To give you reliable results, calibration weights must be at least 12.5 per cent of the scale’s capacity. If your weights aren’t sufficient to take an accurate reading, you can use a material substitute. For instance, you may have only 2,000 kilograms of calibration weights for a 45,000-kilogram container. You can take an initial calibration using the weights, then fill the hopper with another 2,000 kilograms of material. The reading should come up to 4,000 kilograms. You can continue the process until you have the minimum 12.5 per cent required weight.

 

  • Calibration simulator. A simulator is the least accurate calibration method and should never be used in a legal-for-trade application. Besides being a complex process involving multiple calculations, a simulator doesn’t account for environmental factors.

 

To ensure your hopper scale is accurate, you need it professionally tested and calibrated regularly. The federal government has strict rules about scales used for buying and selling goods. Therefore, call a scale inspector accredited by Measurement Canada if you require legal-for-trade scale calibration, as this is the only way to adhere to federal regulations.

 

Hopper scale system installation, maintenance and repairs in Alberta

At Accurate/Western Scale Co. Ltd., we can calibrate any industrial scale, including hopper, truck and floor scales. We’re accredited by Measurement Canada to declare scales legal for trade, and our work is accredited, too. Contact us today to book a weigh scale service call with an experienced technician.

 

Counting Scale Buying Guide

Counting scales weigh and count objects simultaneously. The scales come in various sizes and models and are helpful for warehouses, factories, retail stores and quality control centres. Here are some tips for choosing the best counting scale for your business.

Scale capacity

A higher capacity scale isn’t necessarily better. In fact, the converse is true: the higher the scale’s capacity, the lower its accuracy. Therefore, your best option is to purchase a scale that’s right sized to meet your weighing needs without excess capacity. If you’re measuring many different pieces with varying weights, account for the weight of the lightest and heaviest pieces, and then choose a scale with a capacity suited to that range.

Readability

Readability refers to the lowest unit of weight a scale can discern. The smaller the increment, the higher the readability, and the higher the accuracy. It can vary as much as 0.1 gram to 0.0000001 gram. For example, a scale with a capacity of 20 kilograms and readability to 0.001 gram gives a more accurate weight than a scale with a capacity of only two kilograms and a readability of 0.001 gram.

PLUs

PLU stands for “product look-up.” This feature can speed up the process of weighing different items. You can add items and their weights to the scale’s digital memory, so you don’t have to resample every time. Most models can store between 20 and 25 articles, saving you a lot of time at the cash register.

Negative sampling

Negative sampling allows you to count small pieces more quickly. The function can count the total number of items on the scale by removing a known number of pieces. The scale then calculates the remaining parts after the sample count is taken away.

Remote scale option

If you think you may be weighing heavier items in the future, purchase a scale with a remote scale option so that you can attach a bench scale or a floor scale to the unit. Moreover, choose a model that can connect to your laptop or computer network and automatically populate your databases and spreadsheets. Cheap counting scales generally don’t have this option.

Industrial counting scales in Alberta

At Accurate/Western Scale Co. Ltd., we carry a variety of industrial counting scales for any business need. We’re accredited by Measurement Canada, but be aware that our counting scales are not legal for trade: most are not. We serve customers in Alberta and throughout Western Canada. Contact us today to request a quote on a new digital counting scale for your business.

How Does A Forklift System Work?

Using a forklift scale is an efficient way to weigh objects while moving them around. They’re excellent weighing devices for warehouses and shipyards. But how do they work? Here’s a quick explanation of how a forklift scale system works and why you should consider one for your operation.

What a forklift scale system does
 Forklift scales are built into the Hydraulics of forklifts and other material handling equipment. They’re designed to weigh objects while picking them up, making them the ultimate portable scale. The mechanism uses a piston or diaphragm to compress hydraulic fluid in a tube to determine the weight of the object the forklift is carrying. Forklift scales have at least one load cell, which converts the pressure in the tube into a mass measurement. An average forklift scale has a weighing capacity of around 5,000 pounds or 2,200 kilograms.

Benefits of a forklift scale system
 Hydraulic forklift scale systems have many benefits, including:

  • They have very few moving parts, making them easy to maintain and repair

  • They don’t use electricity, which reduces sparks and explosion hazards

  • They can operate in extreme heat and cold

  • They determine the weight of a product during loading

  • They prevent overloading, preventing costly penalties and prolonging the life of your fleet

  • They eliminate the need to transport items to a weighing scale, improving efficiency and productivity

Industries that benefit from forklift scale systems include:

  • Manufacturing

  • Agriculture

  • Food handling

  • Distribution centres

  • Transportation

If you’re still unsure if a forklift scale system is right for your business, a scale expert can explain the pros and cons in more detail.

Forklift scale system sales in Alberta
 If you’re considering a forklift scale system for your business, look no further than Accurate/Western Scale Co. Ltd. We offer several forklift and material handling scale systems, including bucket loader, lift truck, weigh-in-motion and pallet jack scales. Contact us today to get an estimate on our legal-for-trade scales. We serve customers in Alberta and Western Canada.