Today scales are available in many different forms and have a myriad of uses. They are part of everyday life and have a long history of use in society. The word scale, which is used to refer to a device that measures the weight or mass of an object or person, is actually using a shortened version of the phrase "weighing scale". Weighing scales have been used, in various forms, for centuries. Some sources place the invention of the first scale, the balance scale, in the Middle East as early as the year 4000 B.C.

Small digital scales are used in a wide variety of industries, ranging from food to meteorology. Two basic considerations must be made in selecting a scale for use in a particular industry: weight capacity and resolution. “Resolution” refers to the precision, or the smallest unit measurable by the scale. Generally, higher-capacity scales have lower resolutions than scales with lower capacities.

Aggregates are everywhere we look in the world around us. These materials, which are made up of an aggregate of different other materials, including various types of stones, clay, silt, and sand, include the asphalt that paves our roads, the concrete that is used for the foundations of our skyscrapers, or the cement that makes up the bricks of our homes. There is no single aggregate-each one is made differently for a different purpose. One aggregate that uses a certain mixture of stones, silt, and petroleum-based binding may have very different characteristics than one that uses another mixture of pebbles, clay, and a different binding. One aggregate may be more suitable for roads while another may be more suitable for sidewalks.

The primary purpose of industrial scales is to simply weigh objects. How much of each chemical is being fed into this mixture? How much do those boxes weigh that are being loaded onto the truck? How many metal stampings are in the container? However, sometimes, it is just as important to collect this weight data from electronic scales as it is to do the actual weighing. It may be useful to keep track of how quickly the inventory of metal stampings is being used, what the total weight is of each truck that is leaving the warehouse, and the total quantity of chemicals that is used over the course of the week.

Every living being has an interest in our environment. We all need to breathe clean air and drink safe water. We would all like to be able to use the outdoors without being subjected to medical and other hazardous wastes. No one wants to deal with beaches that are littered with dangerous items, and no one wants to discover that inappropriate materials have been dumped in their neighborhoods.

For all of these reasons, there are many rules and regulations pertaining to the management of hazardous wastes. Some of these simply define what materials and items are deemed to be hazardous and which are not. Others outline the methods required for physically handling hazardous materials. There are specifications for the types of clear and accurate [+]

All types of liquids, powders, pellets, slurries and other materials are handled in a wide variety of different types of cans, buckets, pails, drums, tanks and other types of containers. Traditionally, these have been filled by hand. Liquids are often dispensed by a manually operated pump or gravity fed valve. Other types of materials may also be gravity fed, or filled by use of a conveyor or other type of device. In all of these cases, the accuracy of filling is dependent on the operator. Of course, it is also labor intensive, as the operator is needed at all times to monitor the filling process. Industrial scales are perfect for monitoring the filling process. A bench scale is used to keep track of the weight during the filling process for smaller [+]

The weight values that are shown on the indicator of an industrial scale are of critical importance to the scale operator. A bench scale may be weighing small packages. Or a parts counting scale may be determining the number of parts in a container. Larger drum scales and platform scales may be determining the amount of liquid in a tank or dewar or drum. And large floor scales will be weighing totes, pallets and large tanks. Besides reading the weight information, the operator of the electronic scale can also perform certain control functions, such as applying a tare weight, zeroing the weight on the scale, and choosing the units of measurement, such as pounds or kilos. While it is required and expected that all digital scales provide all of this functionality [+]

An industrial scale is a wonderful instrument for determining the weight of an item. Bench scales accurately weigh small items. Depending on the capacity of the digital scale, the readability of the weight can be as small as 0.0001 lb. Platform scales weigh larger packages and drums up to 1000 lb, whereas floor scales and pallet scales can accepts loads up to 20,000 lb. The accuracy of the electronic scale is dependent on the type of technology used. High quality industrial strain gage scales have an accuracy range of approximately 1/10 of 1%. If greater accuracy is required, alternate ultra precision scales, such as Arlyn Scales Surface Acoustic Wave technology can provide ten or even twenty times better accuracy. But even an industrial scale with the best accuracy obtainable will not [+]

Many different kinds of industrial measurement devices are used to obtain information that is used during an industrial process. This may be an electronic thermometer to keep track of temperatures while mixing chemicals. Or a flowmeter to measure the amount of liquid that has been dispensed. Or a pressure transducer to keep track of pressure inside a tank or cylinder. Or calipers or micrometers to carefully measure distance. Almost without exception, there is a standard trade off in choosing the best device. Greater accuracy means a higher cost. Less expensive tools are less expensive. This has also been true with industrial scales. For the same class and size of device, the more accurate scales are more expensive. Digital scales manufacturers have had a choice of two prevalent technologies. The most common has been industrial scales that use one or more strain [+]