The Industrial Scale and its Uses
Merchants have used weighing devices to price their wares for millennia. It was easy enough to calculate the value of a length of linen or silk by measuring it. Likewise, counting loose items like apples was also a reasonable way to arrive at a figure. However, the only viable approach for some goods was to weigh them. Today, in a world with almost eight billion people who rely on mass production, dependable weighing equipment has become crucial to the retailers and manufacturers of modern merchandise. In many situations, an industrial scale is now indispensable. Furthermore, exceptional accuracy is often essential.
Content shortfalls could lead to fines under the weights and measures act when selling packaged goods. Conversely, overfilling a packet of flour or rice by just a few grams or a couple of extra washers in a box could amount to a substantial loss over twelve months for a company producing 10 000 units per day. At the same time, the weighing process must often be fast to maintain its planned production levels.
Most simple weighing devices don’t have the accuracy required by an industrial scale. They either operate by extending or compressing a spring or use a pivoting beam with a pair of pans to balance an item against a set of standard weights. Such devices may be adequate for general retail use, for example, by a butcher, greengrocer or fishmonger. However, they operate on the false assumption that gravitational forces are constant. In practice, the earth’s gravity is a variable, so they are prone to errors. Although the resulting deviations are inherently minor, they can be unacceptable in many industrial applications.
Instead, the increased accuracy possible with an industrial scale stems from using a load cell to calculate an item’s mass from the force applied to it. This technology compensates for variations in gravity. Thus a given item will always return the same reading regardless of where one measures it. These instruments may take various forms depending on what is required of them.
How Long Can TTR Last And Are They Reusable?
Unfortunately, these can’t be reused like old cartridges in an ink printer that is just refilled, but there are some methods in which TTR can be re-purposed through recycling, depending on the type and where the items are sent for disposal. However, with its long shelf-life and little wastage caused by the heat transfer method, reusing them is not necessary.
Specific expiry dates can be found on the packaging of thermal transfer ribbons. The suppliers usually state that their TTR can last up to a year before it needs to be disposed of.
Each type of ribbon has a different lifespan, with wax being the least durable in having only about 12 months on the shelf and a day after opened. Conversely, resin can be stored for up to 24 months unopened, and five days after unboxing. The shelf-life of combination types between resin and wax is also about 24 months, but only two days once opened.
Looking for an Industrial Scale? We Have Just What You Need! Here.
Types of Industrial Scales
The articles to be weighed are often large, and their shape may be irregular. For example, a cattle breeder will want to know the weight of a bull before offering it for auction, and vets often use weight measurements to monitor an animal’s development. An industrial scale with an extra-large platform is ideal for handling such tasks. Platform scales come in various sizes and may be floor or bench-mounted. However, there are times when these devices are not the solution. Many abattoirs, large butcheries and food processing plants employ overhead tracks as a convenient means to transport carcasses between various points on their premises. Removing them to perform the task would require additional time and effort when it’s necessary to weigh them. Incorporating a carcass scale in the track system enables one to measure its weight without interrupting its journey.
Yet another type of industrial scale is required to address the needs of transport companies, couriers, exporters and others who use their services. Post offices and those providing similar delivery services don’t calculate their freight charges based on weight alone. In addition, they need to know the physical dimensions of the items they transport to determine how much space they will occupy. Because the capacity of a railcar, lorry or shipping container is fixed, an item’s dimensions are as important as its weight to ensure a profitable return from the available space.
The intelligent solution is to employ another form of industrial scale that simultaneously measures an item’s mass and dimensions. These devices are invaluable to a busy logistics company. However, weighing and dimensioning scales can be equally valuable for exporters and wholesalers who rely on third-party transport for distribution. Sadly, some couriers like to inflate these measurements at their clients’ expense when given the opportunity.
Whilst addressing the subject of pricing, one should not overlook the importance of price labels. Consumers need them, and the law requires them. Why spend hours producing them manually when you can purchase an industrial scale that weighs items, calculates their price and prints the labels in a single operation?
Teraoka S.A. (Pty) Ltd is a leading supplier of precision automated electronic weighing equipment to local retailers and industries. We are also the sole distributor of the prestigious DIGI brand in Southern Africa and a Honeywell service partner. Feel free to inspect our products at one of our ten branches or learn more about the applications and benefits of our wide range of industrial scales online.