Industrial scales are one of the critical items used throughout manufacturing facilities. Mixing and formulating chemicals are often performed by weight on platform scales. Drums, canisters and cylinders may be filled by weight, or have their contents dispensed by weight using drum scales. Bench scales are used to weigh packages. They may also be used as check weighing scales to make sure that the contents of a container are correct. Large bulk containers and pallets are weighed on floor scales and pallet scales.
Some factory situations may not require the digital scales to be particularly rugged. The factory floor may be maintained at room temperature. It may be possible to always place items on the scale platform in a gentle manner. But these are the exceptions rather than the rule. Typical factory environments can be very rough on any equipment. Electronic scales may be moved. Larger scales may be loaded with forklifts or pallet jacks. Boxes may be dropped on the scale platform. Other equipment may accidentally impact the scale housings.
High quality industrial scale manufacturers use industry standard methods for building electronic circuit boards and digital display devices that can accept rough handling. But the actual measuring device in the scale, known as the load cell, is more difficult to design for these requirements. The load cell is a piece of metal that has been accurately machined to a shape that allows it to bend a very small amount, but in a known, calculated manner. Electronic devices are bonded to the metal shape to detect the amount of bending that has occurred.
Most load cells are fabricated from aluminum alloy material. This material is fairly inexpensive, and is quite easy to machine into its final shape. But it is also easy to damage it if the applied load is too high. Even more problematic is the case of an instantaneous shock load. This is often caused when even a light weight is dropped onto the platform. At the instant of impact, the force on the aluminum load cell can cause irreversible damage.
Special stainless steel alloy material is specified by some high quality scale manufacturers, including Arlyn Scales. Industrial scales using load cells of this material provide more reliable performance.
Stainless Steel provides Rugged Load Cells
Industrial scales are one of the critical items used throughout manufacturing facilities. Mixing and formulating chemicals are often performed by weight on platform scales. Drums, canisters and cylinders may be filled by weight, or have their contents dispensed by weight using drum scales. Bench scales are used to weigh packages. They may also be used as check weighing scales to make sure that the contents of a container are correct. Large bulk containers and pallets are weighed on floor scales and pallet scales.
Some factory situations may not require the digital scales to be particularly rugged. The factory floor may be maintained at room temperature. It may be possible to always place items on the scale platform in a gentle manner. But these are the exceptions rather than the rule. Typical factory environments can be very rough on any equipment. Electronic scales may be moved. Larger scales may be loaded with forklifts or pallet jacks. Boxes may be dropped on the scale platform. Other equipment may accidentally impact the scale housings.
High quality industrial scale manufacturers use industry standard methods for building electronic circuit boards and digital display devices that can accept rough handling. But the actual measuring device in the scale, known as the load cell, is more difficult to design for these requirements. The load cell is a piece of metal that has been accurately machined to a shape that allows it to bend a very small amount, but in a known, calculated manner. Electronic devices are bonded to the metal shape to detect the amount of bending that has occurred.
Most load cells are fabricated from aluminum alloy material. This material is fairly inexpensive, and is quite easy to machine into its final shape. But it is also easy to damage it if the applied load is too high. Even more problematic is the case of an instantaneous shock load. This is often caused when even a light weight is dropped onto the platform. At the instant of impact, the force on the aluminum load cell can cause irreversible damage.
Special stainless steel alloy material is specified by some high quality scale manufacturers, including Arlyn Scales. Industrial scales using load cells of this material provide more reliable performance.