Category Archives: Bench Scales

Unboxing the Challenges: Navigating the Dimensions of Shipping Boxes and Pallets

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In today’s globalized world, shipping boxes and pallets have become an essential part of our daily lives. From online shopping to business logistics, these containers play a crucial role in moving goods from one place to another.

However, as convenience and efficiency have increased, so have the challenges faced by customers when dealing with freight companies. One of the most significant challenges is the shift towards using dimensional measurements in addition to weight when determining shipping costs. This article explores the various hurdles customers face daily, and how they can navigate through them to optimize their shipping experiences.

nci shipping scales by Avery Weigh-Tronix

The Dimensional Dilemma

Traditionally, shipping costs were determined solely based on weight. You placed your box on your Mettler Toledo BC60 and the weight displayed in your shipping software. It was easy! 

However, with advancements in technology and a growing focus on sustainability, freight companies have moved towards utilizing dimensional weight (DIM weight) calculations. DIM weight considers not only the actual weight of the package but also its dimensions to estimate the space it occupies in the carrier’s vehicle or aircraft. This means that even if a package is relatively light, its large size might result in higher shipping charges due to the wasted space it takes up in transit.

Customers are often caught unaware by this shift and may receive unexpected bills if they fail to measure their boxes accurately or overlook the significance of the dimensions. Furthermore, when shipping multiple items together, the combined dimensions can impact the total shipping cost significantly. If you’re shipping a decent amount of boxes or pallets each day, you’re going to get tired of taking out the tape measure or the yard stick.  You need a more automated solution for obtaining your dim weights.  

Automated Solutions

To ease the burden of manually calculating DIM weight and reduce the chances of human error, customers can leverage automation. Integrating shipping software that incorporates dimension measuring capabilities can streamline the entire process, providing real-time calculations and ensuring accurate billing.

Automated solutions can also help customers compare shipping rates between different carriers, allowing them to choose the most cost-effective option for their specific needs. This level of efficiency and transparency not only enhances customer satisfaction but also boosts overall productivity.

dim weight scale

How Dimensioners Benefit Shippers

When shippers use an automatic dimensioner, they experience fewer invoice corrections, which saves time and money. Shippers can also use a Transportation Management System (TMS) to provide an eBOL with accurate data from a Legal for Trade dimensioner and scale save on freight rates. A TMS offers the carrier data transparency before pickup to help with load planning.

Accurate weights and dimensions are essential to ensure your invoice will match the original carrier quote. Because LTL carriers also rely on Legal for Trade measurement systems, using freight dimensioning systems in your facility can help everyone ensure correct freight classification.

By choosing a dimensioning system that includes high-resolution cameras, you will have images of freight as it leaves your facility, documenting its condition and verifying it was properly packaged and wrapped. This will allow you to hold your LTL carriers accountable for any damage to your freight.

Rice Lake Weighing Systems developed iDimension® Flex Series automatic dimensioners to help shippers prevent invoice corrections. A Legal for Trade dimensioner and scale is the best way to safeguard against reweighs, reclasses and unexpected chargebacks from LTL carriers. The economical iDimension Flex is designed for shippers—it is affordable, easy to install and maintain, and has a full integration toolkit to connect with your network.

The iDimension Flex is designed to fit nearly any shipping environment. It can be installed as a free-standing unit or suspended from the ceiling and mounted over a shipping scale, conveyor or pallet stretch wrapper. With the iDimension Flex, you can easily organize your shipping department to weigh, wrap and dimension freight in one efficient step. The iDimension Flex accurately measures your outbound freight, simplifying eBOL processes and increasing the trust LTL carriers have in your measurements.

Accurate Measuring – A Necessity

To overcome the dimensional measurement challenge, customers must prioritize accurate measuring of their shipping boxes and pallets. Investing in a reliable measuring tool, such as a tape measure or a dimensional weight calculator, can save them from unnecessary expenses. It is vital to measure the length, width, and height of the package, ensuring accuracy to the nearest inch or centimeter.

Some freight companies may also apply additional surcharges if the dimensions are not provided correctly, leading to further complications and financial strain for the customer. Hence, attentiveness to accurate measurements is crucial in avoiding billing disputes and promoting transparent shipping practices.

Packaging Optimization

Aside from accurate measurements, optimizing packaging is another way to navigate the challenges presented by dimensional weight. Selecting appropriate box sizes, eliminating excess void fill materials, and securing the contents efficiently can significantly impact DIM weight calculations.

Customers should consider using custom-sized boxes that snugly fit their products, reducing the amount of empty space within the package. Additionally, choosing lightweight but sturdy packaging materials can also help strike a balance between protection and weight reduction.

This is something we have worked on over the past few years and it has absolutely saved us (and our customers) money.

Collaboration and Communication

To enhance the shipping process, customers must establish clear lines of communication with their freight companies. Inquiring about their dimensional weight calculation methods, applicable surcharges, and any other cost-related factors will enable customers to make informed decisions and prevent unwelcome surprises in the final billing.

Additionally, maintaining open channels of communication allows customers to negotiate better shipping terms, especially for regular or bulk shipments. Building a healthy partnership with the freight company can lead to mutually beneficial outcomes, fostering a smoother shipping experience overall.

Education and Awareness

An essential aspect of overcoming the challenges of shipping boxes and pallets is fostering education and awareness among customers. Many individuals and businesses are still unfamiliar with the concept of DIM weight and its implications. Providing relevant information and resources on websites, customer portals, and through customer service representatives can empower clients to take the necessary steps to optimize their shipping processes.

Freight companies can also conduct workshops, webinars, or tutorials to educate their customers on best practices for measuring, packing, and shipping items. In the long run, informed customers will not only benefit from cost savings but also contribute to sustainability efforts by reducing the carbon footprint associated with shipping inefficiencies.

As a society, we probably ship more boxes and pallets than ever before. It’s important to find various ways to reduce the cost of moving these boxes from point A to point B.  By embracing accurate measuring techniques, optimizing packaging, fostering communication, educating themselves, and adopting automated solutions, customers can navigate these challenges effectively. In doing so, they can not only reduce unnecessary expenses and billing disputes but also contribute to a more sustainable and efficient shipping industry.

The Peril of Monopoly: The Dangers of Choosing an Industrial Scale Provider who Basically Only Recommends One Scale Brand

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In the world of industry and commerce, precision measurement and weighing accuracy are paramount, making industrial scales and laboratory balances an indispensable tool in many industries. When it comes to selecting a reliable provider for your weighing needs, many local businesses seek convenience by opting for a one-stop-shop that sells scales and offers calibration and service support. And, often folks search for old and familiar scale brand they may have heard of years ago.

However, one mistake that some customers make involves choosing a scale supplier who essentially is only offering one brand of scale 99% of the time. This cozy relationship with a sole brand may appear convenient on the surface, but it comes with a range of potential pitfalls that businesses should be wary of. Do the terms Protected Territories, Limited Competition, and High Prices sound familiar? 

This article explores the perils of such an arrangement and underscores the importance of keeping an open mind when it comes to selecting a local industrial scale provider in your area.

1. Limited Product Options:

Relying on an industrial scale provider who predominantly offers one brand of scales leaves your business with limited options. Each industry has unique requirements, and no single scale brand can cater to the diverse needs of every enterprise. By restricting yourself to just one brand of scales, you risk overlooking better-suited alternatives that might provide more accurate readings, advanced features, or even more cost-effectiveness. Opting to work with a local scale company with a wide array of scale options ensures you can find the perfect match for your business requirements.

2. Bias and Unreliable Recommendations:

The inherent conflict of interest in exclusively recommending one scale brand raises questions about the objectivity and credibility of the provider’s suggestions. Is the recommendation driven by the best interest of the client, or is it motivated by financial gains or meeting sales quotas from promoting a particular brand? A biased recommendation might lead to investing in scales that are not truly suitable for your operations, leading to suboptimal performance, increased maintenance costs, or even safety hazards.

3. Lack of Customization and Product Flexibility:

Industrial operations vary widely, and a one-size-fits-all approach to scales simply won’t suffice. By relying on a local scale provider who predominantly deals with one brand, you may face limitations in customizing the scales to match your specific requirements. Customization could involve factors such as scale capacity, platform size, and specialized features, which are critical to ensuring optimal performance and efficient workflow.

There could be situations where your number one scale brand might be a good choice for the scale platform but the scale controller might be a different brand. Is the scale company willing to use another brand?

4. Inadequate Support and Service:

Calibration and regular maintenance are vital to the accurate functioning of industrial scales. Choosing a local scale sales and service provider that primarily deals with one scale brand may limit your access to reliable service and support. They may lack the expertise to handle other scale brands effectively, resulting in subpar calibration or repairs. In contrast, a diversified local scale provider (like Central Carolina Scale) is more likely to have a skilled team capable of servicing a wide range of scale models efficiently.

5. Competitive Pricing:

Monopoly situations can also sometimes lead to inflated pricing. With limited options and no direct competition, the scale provider may not have any incentives to offer competitive prices. As a result, your business might end up paying more for a scale that could be obtained at a better price elsewhere.

high quality scales and weighing equipment

Final Thoughts:

Choosing an industrial scale provider is a crucial decision that directly impacts the efficiency and accuracy of your operations. While the convenience of an all-in-one provider might be tempting, the dangers of opting for one who predominantly deals with a single brand of scales cannot be ignored. The limited product options, protected territories limiting competition, biased recommendations, and inadequate support could all hamper your business’s growth and success.

Instead, we recommend working with a scale company like ours. At Central Carolina Scale, we have good working relationships with many different scale manufacturers. If a customer approaches us and asks for a product or solution for their weighing, we are going to base our product recommendations off things like past success, proven products, overall value, etc… We typically provide multiple reputable choices to customers to consider.

In our experience, rarely is one scale manufacturer the best choice for everything. Some manufacturer really good truck scales. Some manufacturer easy to use digital weight indicators. In fact, we often provide scale systems to customers that have one brand of scale platform and a different brand of digital weight indicator. Most of the time we do that because we’re trying to provide the customer with the best overall scale equipment for their needs.

How Much Does a Waterproof Scale Cost?

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Today we’re going to discuss how much a wash down scale costs. Wait, is it waterproof or wash down? First, a little disclaimer. Some customers like to call these scales “waterproof” which is why we use it in our title. However, that term is not quite accurate. The scales we sell are called “wash down safe” and typically have an IP rating usually somewhere between IP66 and IP69K.

cw-90x check weigh scale for commercial fishing

Stainless Steel Washdown Scales

Basically a washdown scale is designed to be water resistant and easily cleaned after use. The components of a washdown scale are typically constructed of stainless steel. In choosing a new washdown scale for your business, the quality of the components often plays a huge role in the cost.

Stainless Steel Scale Platform Costs

For example, in a standard bench scale, one way to lower the cost would be to use a stainless steel cover and a painted steel scale base. Another way to lower the cost is to use an aluminum load cell instead of stainless steel cell or a hermetically sealed load cell. If you’re in a food processing setting, you should probably be using a stainless steel scale system designed to handle the rigors of daily cleaning. The scale base or platform is available in various sizes and capacities. Continue reading →

Best Shipping Scale for Small Business Needs

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In today’s article we take a look at what we think is the best shipping scale for small business locations around the country. And really this scale is a great choice for just about any size business that ships boxes via UPS or Fed Ex each day.

What is the Best Shipping Scale for Small Business?

So what is the best shipping scale for a small business? Well, if you’re basing it entirely on the price, the answer is probably some plastic scale that you’ve seen on the office supply store shelf. But if you’re looking at such as durability, legal for trade quality, and the ability to connect the scale to your shipping software, then the chances are you might choose a different scale.

Based on our many years of using and selling this scale, in our opinion, the Mettler Toledo BC60 is the best shipping scale for small business usage. The shipping scale has become one of the standard accessories that you see in shipping departments all over the country.

best shipping scale for small business Continue reading →

Scales for Weighing Propane Cylinders & Tanks

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Many folks use portable refillable propane tanks every year. Perhaps you’re using them for your outdoor grill. Chances are you’ve either searched online or wondered things like, how can you tell how much propane is in a 100 lb tank?  Or maybe you’ve asked, how much does a 100 lb propane tank weigh? Or, perhaps you’ve asked the question, how much does 100 pound propane tank weigh empty? These are all popular questions that folks have asked recently.

The National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released the publication “2022 NCWM-NIST National Survey on 20 lb LPG (Propane) Cylinders” with the Weights and Measures Divisions. This survey represents practices of exchanging, selling, filling and manufacturing 20-pound propane tanks by measuring actual tare weight accuracy compared to the cylinders’ stamped tare weight.

scales for weighing propane tanks

Study Findings
When a consumer purchases a propane tank, they are being charged based on weight. If the weight stamped on the tank isn’t accurate, and price at the end of the process is inaccurate.

Most tank manufacturers will stamp the tare weight on the tank before it’s filled with propane and sold to consumers or retailers. Over time, a tank’s weight can fluctuate when it is repeatedly reused. This means when a tank is refilled, the tare weight is often not checked or the tank is not weighed correctly, making it possible to overfill or underfill the tank. This results in the consumer paying an inaccurate price and creates safety risks.

Out of the thousands of cylinders that were evaluated—both new and used—less than half of the new cylinders, and even fewer of the used cylinders, were in compliance with the existing DOT tare weight requirements. However, after December 28, 2022, almost all of the new cylinders and more of the used cylinders will be in compliance due to the updated DOT regulations.

Many direct sale refilling locations were evaluated throughout the country, and nearly 10% of those locations were improperly verifying the safe fill level of 20 pounds. Out of those refilling locations, most of them passed the overall requirements, but some still exceeded the safe fill level.

Many consumers return a cylinder still containing between 1 and 5 pounds of propane. This causes the consumer to lose money due to an inaccurate weight check.

Scale Considerations for Propane Tanks

Having an accurate scale to weigh something such as a 20-pound propane tank is critical, not only for fair commerce but safety as well. A tank that has been overfilled with propane can be dangerous. Measuring and weighing devices used to check propane tanks must meet Handbook 44 requirements, and it is essential to have the right kind of scale for this type of environment.

A Legal for Trade scale means that items such as cylinders and tanks weighed on a scale can be legally sold based on their weight. Both the scale platform and digital weight indicator must have a Certificate of Conformance from the National Type Evaluation Program (NTEP) to be considered Legal for Trade, and the scale must also meet requirements for Handbook 44.

The NCWM developed Handbook 44 to help provide equity, fairness and accuracy of measuring and weighing equipment. This market of fairness is enforced through policies adopted by federal, state and local jurisdictions to provide accurate and traceable measurements. Not only do these scales need to meet Handbook 44 requirements, it is also crucial that they are intrinsically safe.

intrinsically safe portable scale with 1000 lb capacity

Having a Legal for Trade scale that is intrinsically safe is important when weighing a substance that could cause combustion. When a piece of equipment is intrinsically safe, it means that it is incapable of causing sparks or combustion. It must limit electrical current, voltage and heat to reduce the risk of explosion. This is critical to have in a scale when weighing something such as a propane tank or cylinder.

Accurate Propane Tank Scale Recommendations

We have intrinsically safe equipment to meet the demands of applications such as tank manufacturing and filling. These products include the RL1200 Series portable beam scale and the 882IS Performance™ Series digital weight indicator.

The RL1200 IS portable beam scale is a cost-effective, cast-iron design to help deliver durability and portability. Well suited to intrinsically safe applications, the all-mechanical design is NTEP certified and has a capacity of up to 1,000 pounds.

The 882IS indicator is designed for hazardous locations that are potentially explosive. Its auto-ranging power supply enables wiring to a single AC conduit line and seal from the safe area. This indicator can be paired with most bench and floor scales, including the RL1200 scale.

We also offer a variety of cast iron and stainless steel calibration weights to properly test and/or calibrate almost any scale. 

If an intrinsically safe system makes sense for your application, we offer a wide variety of bench scales and floor scales. Our scale experts are available for consultations if you have questions about the right system for your application. Call us (919) 776-7737 or complete our RFQ form on our website.

What Makes a Weighing Scale Better Quality than Another?

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We get this question all the time and it’s a fair question. What makes one weighing scale better quality than another? Sure, it can be worded a little differently like why is one scale priced so much higher than the other, even though they look identical?  The answers can vary from scale type to scale type.

Why Does One Scale Cost So Much More Than Another?  

So why does one scale cost so much more than another?  Here are a few reasons.

  • The country the scale was manufactured in
  • The quality of the components inside the scale
  • The construction of the scale itself
  • A lithium ion battery vs. a lead acid battery
  • IP68 enclosure vs. IP65 enclosure
  • Stainless Steel enclosure vs. painted steel or plastic enclosure
  • The warranty of the item
  • The reputation of the scale manufacturer 

Probably no better example exists on this subject than floor scales. We have floor scales that we offer that basically look very similar to one another that are essentially $2000 different on price. How do you explain that difference?  Well, let’s try to do just that below.

industrial floor scaleOur industrial floor scale is a 4×4 with 5000 LB capacity. NTEP approved. Stainless Weight Indicator with battery.  It weighs approximately 300 pounds.

light industrial floor scale

Our light industrial floor scale is a 4×4 with 5000 LB capacity. NTEP approved. Stainless Weight Indicator with battery.  It weighs approximately 220 pounds.  

Essentially, that eighty pound difference in the physical weight of the scale platform is one big reason there’s approximately $2000 difference in price.

So, is the more expensive scale worth it?  The answer is…. it depends on your weighing application.

If you are a metal recycler for example, then you likely want good quality scales that are built tough and can handle the daily abuse that weighing equipment is going to take in that environment. The last thing you want in that environment is a scale platform that can’t handle the thousands of pounds of weight. So in this example, yes the additional cost is likely worth it when you average out the years of service the scale will provide.

However, if you’re a shipping warehouse that weighs a few 800 pound pallets everyday, then you probably don’t need the more expensive scale. 

Ultimately, this is where discussing your particular weighing needs with your scale sales person is a smart thing. Give us a call or fill out the RFQ form on our website.  

Better Quality Weighing Equipment or Low Priced Scales? 

Really, there are numerous factors that can determine the overall quality of a weighing scale. Some of the most important factors include:

  1. Accuracy: A high-quality weighing scale should be able to accurately measure the weight of an object. This is often determined by the scale’s sensitivity and resolution. We recommend choosing NTEP approved weighing equipment for reputable scale manufacturers for the best results.

  2. Repeatability: A good weighing scale should be able to consistently produce the same weight reading for the same object. Often with lower quality items, this can become a problem.

  3. Construction: A good scale is designed to last for years of service. This is where you need to discuss your weighing needs with your sales person and determine if industrial or light industrial weighing equipment makes sense for you. 

  4. Resolution: The resolution of a scale refers to the smallest weight that the scale can measure. A scale with high resolution will be able to measure small weights more accurately than a scale with low resolution. This often comes into play with counting scales and lab balances.

  5. Stability: A high-quality scale should be stable and not drift or fluctuate over time. Once again better quality items tend to be more stable and consistent.

  6. Durability: A scale that is built to last will be of higher quality than one that is prone to breaking or malfunctioning. We recommend choosing reputable scale brands with a good reputation in the scale industry vs. cheap imported scales.

  7. Ease of use: A scale that is easy to use, with clear instructions and a user-friendly interface, will be better than one that is difficult to operate. Scales that are easy to use is a good thing. Don’t just think about you or the one employee who is using the scale. Also think about the person who has to fill in and learn how to use the scale.

  8. Customer support: A scale manufacturer that provides good customer support and stands behind their product is likely to offer higher quality products. We have several reputable scale manufacturers who offer quality weighing equipment that we’ve sold and serviced for many years.

Ultimately what it really comes down to in our opinion is communication between the buyer or procurement manager and the scale salesperson. That seems simple. But in today’s point and click and add to shopping cart world that we live in, it’s really important to be on the same page. When you ask the question what makes one weighing scale better quality than another, you need to discuss this subject with your scale sales person, who can assist you with appropriate product choices that will best fit what you’re trying to do.  

What Does 5000 x 1 Mean? Scale Capacity x Readability

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We’re going to discuss something that many folks wonder about the first couple of times they are tasked with buying scales.

What Does it Mean when you see 5000 x 1 on a Scale?

If you’ve done any research at all online for scales, you’ve probably seen something written like 5000 x 1, or perhaps you’ve requested a quote and seen that number written. Either way, you may be wondering what these mean. 5000 x 1 lb, or it could be 60 x 0.02lb or it may have been 3000 g by 0.01g. 120,000 x 20 lb, 500 x 0.1 lb etc….

600 x 0.1 LB

 

 

But what exactly does that mean? It’s actually pretty simple.

In the case of 5000 x 1 lb, this means that the total weighing capacity of the scale is 5000 pounds and the scale increases or decreases in weight by 1 lb increments from zero all the way to 5000 lb.

Some people refer to the 1 lb in this example as the readability or the graduation size. In the 60 x 0.02 lb example, it would be as follows, 60 lb is the capacity and 0.02 lb is the graduation size that the scale increases or decreases by from zero all the way to 60 lb. Continue reading →

Best Commercial Bakery Scales

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Over the years we have worked with numerous commercial bakeries and related businesses with their portion weighing needs.  Accuracy is very important for their food recipe and quality control and overall consistency. Many of these businesses use our scale calibration and repair services on a regular basis to keep their scales running year round.

What Kind of Scale do Professional Bakers & Chefs Use?

This is a good question. Basically there are a couple of ways that bakery customers often approach obtaining commercial bakery scales. One way is to buy high quality scales that are more expensive. A few examples might include the stainless steel Doran 7000XL bench scale or perhaps the Avery Weigh-Tronix ZQ375 checkweigher.

Both of these are washdown safe, aka waterproof scales and the thinking is that these industrial scales are built tougher and will provide more years of service in return for the investment that you’re making. In fact, we know of a famous pizza chain that uses the Doran 7000XL bench scales for preparing their pizzas and keeping track of ingredient portions. The result that we’ve noticed many times is a consistent pizza every time you order.

doran 7000xl commercial bakery scale

The other way to approach buying scales for a commercial bakery is to buy the cheapest scales and then when they break (notice we didn’t say “if” they break) you’ll throw those out and buy more new cheap scales.  

Which way is better? 

As a scale supplier for over forty years, we have seen both strategies utilized and in our experience, most of the time, you come out ahead buying a quality scale that is built for the application that you intend to use it for.

One thing is also worth mentioning and that is to educate your workers about the scale. So many times workers don’t understand or realize the cost of the scale and that the scale is not impervious to damage. Most every digital scale on the market doesn’t do well when it’s dropped from the counter onto a concrete floor or carried around the kitchen by the cable or have a heavy item dropped or slammed onto the weighing platter.

Assuming your employees use the scale properly, sure, you may have to get your replacement Doran Scale load cell installed or perhaps a load cell cable somehow gets cut or ripped out of the scale. But in most cases, those items can be repaired and you’re not having to purchase new equipment all the time.

What are Scales Used for in the Professional Kitchen?

Most of the time bakery scales are used for portion control and quality control purposes. Ingredients can be very expensive and customers expect consistency every time they order your product. 

What is the Best Food Scale on the Market?

The best commercial food scale on the market is probably the Doran 7000XL stainless steel bench scale. Professional bakers have used this commercial scale for many years. If you’re talking about small portion control scales or kitchen scales, then you might want to see the Doran 550 series counter top scales. 

We encourage you to contact us to discuss your needs and what you are looking for with a digital scale. We can tell you what the best kitchen scale is in our opinion, but if you let us know exactly how you’re going to be using the scale, what features you need/want and your budget, we can provide you with our recommendation. Call us (919) 776-7737 or fill out the RFQ form on our website to get started.

Bench Scales Ideal for Pharmaceutical Packaging

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Safety First!

That may be a tired expression, but it rings true in so many industrial settings, including pharmaceutical packaging.

While corporate executives and share holders may be focused on productivity and the scientists with precision, everyone involved – regulatory agencies, the government, warehouse workers, employees at every step of the supply chain, pharmacy technicians, doctors, consumers, and more are all concerned with safety.

pharma scales for accurate weighing

Cross contamination can put lives at risk.

And even just a miscalculation, lapse in judgment, or inferior equipment, can put a business at risk of being heavily fined or even shut down. Companies in the highly-regulated pharmaceutical industry must always be compliant and “audit prepared.”

Pharmacies don’t operate the way they did 100 years ago, when a pharmacist used a pestle and mortar and prepared medicines as needed.

Today, with so many medications available to the public and so much money in big pharma, drug products are almost exclusively mass created and manufactured far from their eventual point of purchase. After being created in a lab, most consumer drug products are bottled, boxed, stored, packaged and shipped from container closure systems.

Pills, ointments, syrups, syringes, inhalers, etc. are packaged, they are counted and weighed using bench scales that are reliably precise, durably built, intuitively operated, and loaded with safety features.

When designing safety assessments for chemical and pharmaceutical packaging operations, leading companies carefully select the highest quality industrial bench scales like the OHAUS Defender.

Many folks just think of Ohaus as a manufacturer of Laboratory Balances like the Explorer or Scout. But, they also manufacture a complete line of industrial scales like floor scales, counting scales and bench scales, like the Defender 5000.

Defender 5000 for Pharma Packaging

The Defender 5000 Series Bench Scales are designed to simplify demanding industrial applications, including production, packaging, inventory, and shipping.

Multifunctional Defender 5000 meets the weighing and measurement needs of a broad range of manufacturing processes and industrial applications, including Parts Counting with APW optimization, Check Weighing or Check Counting, Percent Weighing, Filling, and Dynamic Weighing or Display Hold. With so many application modes, Defender eliminates the need for long and complicated manual calculations.

Durable Defender 5000 scales are built to withstand the rigors of warehouse work with a 304-grade stainless steel platform, powder-coated steel frame, and aluminum load cell that are all easy to clean and sterilize. Available washdown models are designed to withstand high pressure cleaning. Defender meets NTEP & Measurement Canada type approvals.

The user-friendly Defender 5000 features an alpha-numeric keypad with SoftKeys, large backlit display, and plain text on-screen prompts to guide you through operation. Defender 5000’s large transflective dot matrix display makes results easy to read, even in bright sunlight. The SmarText 3.0 interface guides you through advanced features, reducing training time for operators and simplifying setup.

Available Defender 5000 floor and tabletop models feature a range of platform sizes and weighing capacities to support your needs. Call (919) 776-7737 or complete our RFQ form on our website for additional info on the Ohaus bench scale lineup.

Peak Hold Feature on Scales and Weighing Balances

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What is Peak Hold?

There are several ways to describe peak hold, but for our purposes, we are going to say that a scale with peak hold enabled displays the highest reading detected by the scale or balance and holds the result on the display.  

How Is Peak Hold Different From a Regular Hold Function?

This is where the “hold” function can get a little confusing. Many scales these days offer some version(s) of a hold function. Some offer a hold function that will hold whatever weight is on the scale when it stabilizes. Some scales will hold the stable weight and then increase the displayed weight if it increases beyond a certain percentage. 

The regular hold function freezes the results on the display when the scale receives them. In this case, that means that the weight on the display would only show what first registered on the scale, paying no attention to the weight applied afterwards. So if your scale measures 3kg, 7kg and 5kg, it will hold and display 3kg. As mentioned above, some scales will go beyond this and display an increased amount if the scale weight increases beyond a certain percentage. Other hold settings average the weight and hold or “lock” the weight once it becomes stable.

 

Peak hold normally is the highest amount the scale has registered. It doesn’t usually involve all the averages and percentage increases. When the weight is held for dynamic weighing, it’s after the scale has averaged the results of all instances of weight registered. If your scale measures 3kg, 7kg and 5kg, it will hold and display 5kg. You see some of this on animal or livestock scales sometimes. This would not be “peak” hold.

While peak hold will record the highest value obtained rather than the first stable value, or the average of multiple values. It can be useful when a lot of weight is applied very quickly and removed just as quickly. If your scale measures 3kg, 7kg and 5kg on it, it will hold and display 7kg.

Why is Peak Hold Used in Quality Testing?

You don’t want cardboard packaging to fall apart because of the weight in the box. Peak hold can be used to determine a material’s tensile strength, which can help manufacturers determine if a material is suitable to contain and transport various objects, materials and chemicals.

Also, product consistency is very important. Imagine purchasing a bag of candy only to find that some pieces of candy melt in your mouth, while other pieces of candy hurt your teeth when you attempt to chew them.

You probably would not buy that brand again.

Quality testers need to ensure that tools that see heavy duty usage can always withstand daily usage without breaking randomly.

Another example, a can with potentially volatile chemicals needs to be made of a material that can withstand a certain amount of pressure build up before it breaks, or people could get injured.

peak hold scale

Many manufacturers use peak hold to test the amount of weight and pressure that can be supported by a part or piece to make sure components will not break from daily usage and stress on individual components.

The peak hold function can also be used to measure the highest weight for multiple weighing results in a short succession. For example, you can place an item, weigh it, remove it and place another one until you’re done measuring all your items, but the only weight recorded will be the highest one. Peak hold can also capture unstable weight spikes, while most weighing functions capture weight results once they are stable.

How is Peak Hold Used?

Some scales, like certain Adam Equipment scales, allow users to set a time interval in which the scale will keep displaying the recorded peak. The user can either have it displayed for that time interval before the display clears, or manually clear the display. Scales will often record and display a peak until another one is captured.

Material is sometimes weighed too quickly for the human eye to follow, or the sample is so bulky that it hides the display, which needs to maintain the weight to be read when the sample is removed from the pan. In addition, many quality testing facilities use systems with switches or remote mechanisms in place, so the scale or balance must be able to capture weight even if a person is not at the scale.

We have a customer who has purchased peak hold scales from us for many years. They measure the amount of weight that a person can lift by utilizing a S-Beam Load Cell along with a Digital Weight Indicator with Peak Hold Function enabled. The system has worked very well over the years and is currently utilized across the United States.

For more information on scales that offer peak hold capability, contact the Central Carolina Scale sales department or call (919) 776-7737.