In almost any industry, it is very important that all weight measurements be extremely precise. However, many different conditions affect the precision of industrial scales. Precision scales must be on stable, level surfaces. They should not be exposed to water or other material which may corrode the load cell and the housing. Industrial scales should be kept at room temperature.

However, sometimes, due to the nature of the work that is being done, an industrial scale may have to be subject to undesirable conditions. For example, in the food processing industry, food must be packaged by a very specific weight. This packaging often must happen in refrigerated or freezing conditions, which affect the accuracy of any precision scale.

In industrial scales, a transducer called a strain gauge load cell detects how much weight is acting on it and then outputs an electrical signal. When an object is placed on it, the load cell stretches a certain amount proportional to the weight of the object. This stretching bends a strain gauge, which is an electrical resistor, and changes its resistance. This changes the electrical output signal. At low temperatures, the load cell will contract, which will change the electrical output of the resistor, making the computerized components of the scale believe that there is a weight on the load cell. Manufacturers of high-quality electronic scales, like Arlyn Scales, will counteract this effect by using temperature-compensating resistors.

Another component of industrial scales that is affected by low temperatures it the scale’s digital indicator. Most digital scale manufacturers use Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) as indicators. At low temperatures, many LCDs suffer a lost of contrast or even a complete loss of visibility. Arlyn Scales uses special low-temperature LCDs to avoid this problem. In addition, it is important to use a sealed, gasketed housing for the display to prevent moisture from reaching the electronic components.