Shopping for industrial floor scales can be time-consuming when you see the different options available especially if you are searching online. However, once you narrow down your search by finding a quality scale from a trusted manufacturer, the process becomes quite simple. Here are six things you want to look for when buying a floor scale for your business application.
- Standard weights for the scale size. If you see economical scales for sale in the same size ranges (Made in China), you are likely to find they weigh only 200-300 lb (shipping weigh) and have few options. For instance a USA Made 4Ă4 is 300-400 lb compared to most 48â x 48â. This is usually the case when manufacturers substitute less steel materials in manufacturing the scale, which can cause bowing after time and usage, giving your indicator bad readings which should be avoided at all cost because a scale not working will cost you money a lot of money and downtime.
- Load Cells. These are the brains of the scale and they are usually not seen and what they do is measure the weight of the object or objects you are trying to find the weight of. Load cells are made with or without quality like most things you buy today so if you are going to skimp and try buying a less expensive scale you need to know that the brains of your scale cannot be trusted if you are not buying a quality scale with quality load cells. The load cells are wired inside youe scale and are wired to the indicator which are the eyes of the scale.
- Protected load cell cables. Quality industrial floor scales have protections in place for the load cell cables on the bottom of the scale. For instance most overseas manufactures will use plastic cables to cut cost. However, USA made scales will use steel braided cables for long lasting protection. Look for products that have channels covering the cables so they are not damaged during the course of a dayâs work.
- Reliable digital readouts. In a busy operation, downtime is your biggest problem. Your team will not have time to deal with a digital readout failure, blurry displays, and complicated keypads functions. Youâll want stainless steel enclosures, clear displays high lite displays and keypads that donât require special skills to enter numbers. Superior digital readouts come standard on quality USA made scales.
- NTEP approval. With NTEP approval, you can be assured the scale you are buying has passed government standards for precision because these scale have passed rigorous tests to be sure the scale adheres over time to be reliable and accurate. Meaning thicker still, better quality load cells, holding calibration for a longer period of time, and more overload protection against impacts and vibrations. Any business operation buying or selling products based on weight must be sure the scale has NTEP approval (talk with a professional scaleman). Products coming from many foreign markets donât meet these standards and sometimes are not honest about their certifications and borrow or steal others NTEP certification numbers.
- Multi-year warranty. What happens when something goes wrong with your scale? Even products from the worldâs best manufacturers have issues. As long as you buy from a company with strong warranty protection, you wonât have to worry about having to pay out of pocket. 5 Year standard warranties are ideal for warehouse use where the scale will be used constantly. Companies that provide local service are ideal to avoid downtime with your scale.
Prime USA Scales offers only the highest quality, American-made scales for business use and services the entire U.S. through our dealer network. For further information or inquiries about our scales please contact us at (800) 917-7205 or visit www.PrimeUSAScales.com.