But not all industrial applications are created equally. Just being tough will be sufficient for most situations. But certain uses require an electronic scale to be able to withstand harsh chemical environments. One of the most common of these is found in municipal water treatment facilities, both for the municipal water supply itself, and for the treatment of waste water. A wide variety of very corrosive materials are metered in very small amounts into the treatment process. The drum scales that hold these drums must not get damaged by chemical spills or even the vapor from these chemicals. Floor scales that are used to hold tanks or totes must be similarly protected.

Arlyn Scales offers cylinder scales, platform scales and floor scales with stainless steel construction and a unique coating for excellent protection. The coating on these industrial scales is comprised of a special anti corrosive epoxy. Even the best coatings will only protect the electronic scale if it has not been scratched or abraded. Ultra hard garnet particles are mixed into the epoxy to protect the scale platform from wear.

One of the most common types of industrial scales is the bench scale. Generally, they are available in capacities ranging from about 10 pounds up to approximately 150 lbs. As a rule of thumb, the lighter the capacity of the scale, the higher the resolution of the display. For example, a ten pound capacity scale may be able to display increments as small as 0.001 lb. Whereas a one hundred pound scale has ten times the capacity, it may have only one tenth of the readability, resulting in display increments of 0.01 lb.

Although the readability of the bench scale is important, the overall accuracy is a defining value. Arlyn Scales produces bench scales that provide levels of accuracy that are suitable for industrial measurement. Many of the important design elements that result in good accuracy can be traced to the electronic sensors of the digital scale. These sensors must be very rugged, or they will be quickly damaged in an industrial environment. But they must also be very sensitive. Additional characteristics include the ability to produce correct results over a wide range of temperature. For these reasons, Arlyn Scales uses a special stainless steel alloy in the production of their weight sensors. Additional electronics are built into the sensor to detect the ambient temperature of the bench scale, and to adjust the electronic output of the sensor to compensate for temperature variations.

Of course, the bench scale must also include accurate digitizing circuitry to convert the sensor output into a digital value for the display. These circuits must react quickly to any change in weight on the scale platform, while also filtering out the results of air movement and vibration.

Alpacas are animals that are closely related to llamas, and less closely related to camels. They originated in South America, especially in the Andes Mountains where their meat, and more importantly, the fiber from their coats was highly prized. Alpacas are raised by thousands of breeders, owners and small farmers in the United States. The animals are considered by some to be pets, by others to be a source of valuable fiber to be sheared and sold, and by others as in investment.

As with any other animal, alpacas must be carefully monitored for health. They receive a variety of dietary supplements, and when ill, must receive the proper dosage of medication. Alpacas vary significantly in size. Of course the baby animals, known as crias, are quite small. Adults may range up to 150 pounds, or even larger. When determining the correct amount of medication, it is critically important to know the weight of the animal.

Alpaca scales, such as those offered by Arlyn Scales, are designed specifically for that purpose. The scale platform is very low to the ground, making it easy for the animal to step up. For comfort, it is covered with a rubber mat. The indicator includes special software to accurately weigh an animal that will not stand still. The digital display on the alpaca scale has large, black, graphics digits, making the weight easy to see. Although the scale capacity is 500 pounds, the readability is one tenth of a pound, allowing accurate weights to be determined for even the smallest alpacas.

In addition, the alpaca scale can serve a dual purpose by using it to weigh the fiber from the sheared animals. With the excellent sensitivity provided the Arlyn Scale can accurately provide fiber weights for both statistical and marketing purposes.