In general, most types of industrial scales are straightforward to use. However, one kind of scale may be more complicated to operate. That would be the pallet jack scale. If you’ve been thinking about buying some for your company’s operations, you’ll need to know how to use them effectively. Here are the steps you need to follow for general pallet jack scale usage.
Find a Flat Surface
Since you’ll be weighing objects in a different location each time you use the scale, the first step of using a pallet jack scale is always to verify you’re on a level surface. Fortunately, most warehouse and factory floors will already be level.
Weigh an Empty Pallet
Before weighing the products that need moving, you’ll need to tare the weight of a pallet since that will skew your results. While some pallets vary in weight, most are uniform, so you don’t need to use the exact one you’ll be transporting. Once you place an empty pallet on the rails, press the Tare or Zero button, then remove the pallet after the scale has equalized the weight.
Pick Up the Pallet of Products
After taring the empty pallet, it’s time to pick up the pallet that has the product on it. If you’ve used a pallet jack before, you’ll know how to do this already. However, if you haven’t, follow these steps:
- Drop the jack to its lowest position.
- Move the forks into the slots of the pallet.
- Pump up the lever until the pallet has lifted a few inches off the ground.
Distribute the Weight Evenly
While this is important for regular pallet jacks, ensuring that you’ve evenly distributed the weight is vital to use a pallet jack scale effectively. Unlike most scales, this type doesn’t have one flat surface to spread the load cells under. It has them stored in the two forks. Due to this lack of surface area, you need to make sure you distribute the weight of the load evenly to receive accurate measurements.
Transport While You Weigh
The beauty of pallet jack scales is that you can weigh objects with them while on the go. However, that doesn’t mean you can haphazardly rush it across the warehouse floor and expect a precise weight when you reach your destination. While calculating the measurements, you need to move steadily, take graceful turns, and avoid slopes. You shouldn’t have any issues using this type of scale if you do those things.
Now that you know how to use one of these devices if you are interested in getting a few for your warehouse, we have a complete selection of pallet jacks with scales for sale on our site. Just be sure that you take the time to find the one that works the best for your company.