Choosing the Right Industrial Parts Counting Scale for Inventory

Precision counting scales are essential tools for any business that manages inventory, pulls orders from a stockroom for production, creates kits of parts, or provides fulfillment services for a third party.

Any products or parts that need tracked by count…. need a rugged and reliable precision counting scale, and with hundreds of different manufacturers and counting scale combinations to choose from, you might need a little assistance in buying a counting scale.

counting scale

To make sure you select the best solution, our friends at Pennsylvania Scale Co have gathered four of the most important features to consider when choosing a precision counting scale for your company. You can see those below.

Also, in addition to accuracy, the other benefit you gain from purchasing a Pennsylvania 7500 or 7600 counting scale, is the “industrial toughness” of those products. They are the complete opposite of the plastic lightweight imported scales that you’ve probably seen before.

#1 High Internal Resolution

When a scale is in counting mode, it calculates a piece weight in order to display a count (weight on scale/piece weight = count). The piece weight is determined by the internal resolution of the scale, not by the displayed resolution. (The displayed resolution is usually a larger graduation or resolution than the piece weight.)

High internal resolution determines the lightest weight change a scale can measure. The higher the internal resolution, the more accurate the piece weight will be, which is especially critical when weighing and counting smaller pieces.

The increased performance from a high internal resolution counting scale means greater accuracy in orders and inventory management. This in turn leads to greater customer satisfaction and higher profitability. Also see: sometimes the cheapest scale can be the most expensive.



#2 Rugged, Reliable, and Built for the Real World

Accurate high internal resolution counting scales improve operations by minimizing breakdowns and delivering maximum uptime. Unlike laboratory balances or other high-precision measuring devices, counting scales are typically used in the middle of industrial environments with all of the vibration, heat or cold, rough handling, and constant use of today’s fast-paced production climate.

Selecting a counting scale that is purposefully designed to provide high accuracy while withstanding the constant use and abuse that occurs in the real world is a must to avoid inconvenient and costly downtime and repairs. Pennsylvania counting scales are designed to thrive in these types of environments and promote high-performance counting operations.

#3 Flexible and Easy to Use

A high-quality, high-precision counting scale delivers exceptional accuracy while also being flexible and easy to use within the production environment. Setting up piece weights and displaying counts in the fewest number of steps will get your counting scale up and running quickly and will instantly produce measurable improvements in accuracy and productivity.

Plus, the easier a counting scale is for your team to use, the more they will use it, resulting in higher accuracy and lower waste. Pennsylvania counting scales are renowned for this high level of intuitive operation and flexible counting modes that include: 1-step counting, 2-step counting, negative counting, top end counting, counting with a manually entered piece weight, piece weight store and recall, and auto sample to bulk counting.

#4 Connectivity of Counting Scales

Creating powerful, intuitive counting systems requires software for data collection and management to automate and validate count or weight data from the process or production line. Pennsylvania counting scales are flexible enough to work with many third-party software systems, and their application support team is ready to provide expert assistance or scale manuals to help with scale integration, including counting scale label printing systems with design services for a custom human readable or barcode label to meet a variety of requirements.

Contact our sales department today for more information and buying advice on our complete lineup of precision counting scales.

NEW! WiFi – Wireless Ethernet Option From Pennsylvania Scale Company

The Pennsylvania Scale Company Wi-Fi option brings power and versatility wireless networking connections to the rugged and reliable count weigh bench scales and indicators. Wi-Fi 802.11b/g Transceiver Module at 2.4GHz provides a seamless integration into your existing wireless network, with no special requirements!

A Wi-Fi enabled counting or weighing scale system allows you to collect and analyze data from a workstation, production line, shipping/receiving station or stock room, providing valuable information to help management increase accuracy, productivity and reduce costs.

wifi scales

WiFi Features and Benefits for Scales

The Pennsylvania Scale Wi-Fi option keeps your data safe and secure with configurable network security protocols (WPA1, WPA Mixed & WPA 2) supported by the wireless ethernet standard.

The Wi-Fi option saves the expense of running cables in an industrial or warehouse environment. Wi-Fi is the absolute best choice for data collection applications where the scale system is mobile or changes locations on a regular basis. Collect data with powerful and flexible data collection and control software from Pennsylvania Scale.

Initial setup and troubleshooting are easy using the innovative and built in Webserver/soft AP mode. Simply enable the soft AP mode on the option, connect to the “WiFly” SSID and open the configuration web page to setup on the wireless networking protocols or for troubleshooting. Now available as a factory installed option on any Pennsylvania Scale Indicator or Bench Scale. Don’t forget we can also add other options to turn a regular scale into a digital scale with usb output for maximum data collection.

Part Number ………… Description
_WIFI       Wi-Fi Option installed: Ex: 7300-XXX WIFI, 7500-XXX WIFI, 7600-XXX WIFI 7400
WIFI, 7500/4 WIFI, 7600E WIFI, 7600/4 WIFI

57869-1    Wi-Fi Option Board Only

61301       Replacement Antenna

61300      Replacement Option Board to antenna interface cable

Who Needs the Pennsylvania Scale Model 7600 Manual?

Who needs the Pennsylvania 7600 manual for how to use the counting scale when you have a video like this! Some users can read a manual and use the scale with ease, while others appreciate seeing how to use the scale on their computer screen. This is especially helpful when you see all the different ways you can count on the 7600 scale.

Since 1908 Pennsylvania scale company has been manufacturing high quality rugged and accurate industrial counting and weighing scale systems. Proudly made in the USA at the Lancaster, Pennsylvania manufacturing facility.

In a fast-paced demanding production environment you need a count scale to help you control inventory, eliminate waste and just be an efficient scale that is precise and accurate. One that’s rugged and reliable but just as important one that’s easy to use.

Pennsylvania scale has designed and manufactured easy-to-use flexible counting scale solutions when you have lots of parts to count each day and you have to count them for different purposes and with different counting methods you need a scale that’s super
flexible. Pennsylvania scale has that ideal flexible counting scale solution for you. Let’s take a look at all the different ways you can count using the Pennsylvania 7600 counting scale.

The advanced counting methods are only available on the 7600 including
auto sample update after sampling in establishing a piece weight, add parts
totaling less than the initial sample size & the scale will recalculate the piece
weight and the percentage of accuracy will increase.

Two step counting is a very versatile way to use the Pennsylvania’s 7600 counting
scale, you can grab a handful of parts and place them on the scale after pressing sample set, count the number of parts that are on the scale platform & use
the scale keyboard to enter that number and view the percentage of accuracy and if
that’s acceptable press ENTER again and now be ready for parts counting.

With the 7600 you can count using a piece weight with a tare weight. Press the piece weight button and using the scale keypad key in the APW or average piece weight, then press the keypad tare button and enter the tare value of the container the parts are in.
Now will be displayed the total count of parts that are in the container and the container has been tared off or is not a part of that calculation.

Top-end counting is an ideal way to verify inventory without having to remove all of the parts from a container and it works very simply by first of all entering the tare weight of the container, then pressing the sample set button and removing the sample quantity
from the container. Verify that you have the correct number of pieces removed and
the percentage of accuracy will be displayed on the scale. Then press the Enter button. The scale now calculates the piece weight and shows the total count of pieces in the container the container has been tared off and is not a part of that calculation.

Negative counting is designed to allow you to count out from a container of parts.
Place the full container on the scale, press the sample set button, remove the
sample from the container. Make sure that you have the quantity correct. Percentage
of accuracy will be displayed. Press the Enter button and now as parts are removed from the container, the number of parts removed shows as a negative number
on the scale display.

Auto sample to bulk is a counting method that allows you to use a light capacity
highly accurate sample scale for determining the piece weight and then automatically switch to a heavier capacity remote scale platform for counting accurately in bulk quantities.

We hope that this information has been helpful to you. At Central Carolina Scale we recommend the Pennsylvania 7600 counting scales for industrial applications due to its rugged and durable features and the ease of use. Please contact us (919) 776-7737 for purchasing information or if you would like to set up a routine service plan to keep your Pennsylvania Scale Company product working well.

Looking For A Shipping Scale With Ethernet?

Are you interested in a shipping scale with Ethernet? If so, please take a look at the information below. The Pennsylvania 7300 is a Made in the USA shipping scale that is designed for years of heavy duty use and loaded with features. These scales are extra rugged and dependable. Default settings for UPS Online, Clipper Ship, Fairbanks or Mettler Toledo emulation + option outputs for Ethernet, analog (0-10 VDC or 4-20 mA), standard RS-232, remote displays.

The scale itself is better than the competition because it isn’t made out of cheap plastic. The Pennsylvania 7300 features Heavy duty CAST base construction and standard resolution of 10,000 counts which make this shipping scale the standard of the industry. Below are just a few of the standard features.

pennsylvania 7300 shipping scale with ethernet

• Proven PLUS+ Series universal Main Board technology – consistent design
• 4 Year Limited Warranty
• Capacities from 2 lbs (8 x 8″ platform) to popular 10, 20, 50, 100, 150, and 200 lbs models with 10,000 standard display graduations
• Remote Displays – plug and play functionality
• Standard Lbs/Kgs or choose any 2 weighing units
• Programmable and flexible RS-232 (DB9 located in cavity under the scale) has default settings for UPS WorldShip and many other shipping systems
• Optional Ball tops for shipping applications

The ethernet module has an RJ45 mating port to accept the customer’s cable. The module is a name brand product that computer savvy people are comfortable with. It comes with an assigned IP address (modifiable) and software license. The Ethernet option is reasonably priced and lead time is usually about one business day.

Stretch Wrap Machine With Scale

If you’re shipping pallets loaded with smaller boxes then the chances are you’re using some type of shrink wrap or stretch wrap to keep the smaller boxes on the pallet. Some smaller companies use a stretch wrap roll and manually walk around the pallet themselves. However, many larger companies or organizations that ship out quite a few pallets typically use a stretch wrap machine to accomplish this task.

One issue that can take place during this process is obtaining a pallet weight. Often the pallet has to be wrapped with stretch wrap and then moved over to the floor scale to obtain a weight. Now you can imagine if this happens multiple times each day, the lost time and inefficiency can really add up.

strech wrap machine scale

A great solution for this is to add one of our large floor scales to your stretch wrap area. As you can see from the picture, the stretch wrapper sits on top of the platform scale and makes securing the pallet and obtaining a pallet weight a simple process. Custom floor scales for under stretch wrappers are available from Central Carolina Scale. Custom sizes no problem; standard pricing and scale is typically delivered within 4 weeks. Give us a call at 919-776-7737. Low profile and high capacity are standard features along with easy zero reset (on the Pennsylvania 7500/7600 indicators) for the dead load easily preserves full capacity and calibration.

Can I Buy An American Made Floor Scale?

Over the past few months on this site we have taken a look at how realistic is it to purchase certain types of scales and related equipment that is actually made in the USA. We looked at Made In The USA scale indicators and Built in America Load Cells. Today I wanted to find out if you can still buy a Made In the USA floor scale?

Absolutely! Now I do want to write a small disclaimer before I get started. The information presented below is provided to the best of my knowledge and at the time of this writing is true. As all of you know, the pressures of a shaky economy and increased competition can always force scale manufacturers to change their process. But to my knowledge what I’m writing below is accurate regarding these decks being made in the United States. So with that being said, let’s answer the simple question. Can I still get a floor scale that was actually built in America? Yes you can.

Anytime you think of floor scales built in America the first choice has to be the Pennsylvania Scale 6600 series. The Pennsylvania floor scale is built in either Lancaster PA or at the corporate facility in Terre Haute, IN. These scales are well built and feature an outstanding warranty. As an added bonus, the indicators from Pennsylvania are also made in the USA. Continue reading

The Latest Pennsylvania Scale Update

We just recently received this update below from Pennsylvania Scale. So we figured that we’d share the update in a simple top 10 list kind of like you might see on late night tv.

Number ten is LOAD CELLS. We sell a lot of load cells. Due to that volume, we can offer attractive pricing for cells such as TANK MOUNTS, S-TYPES, ALTERNATIVE CAPACITIES, TENSION MOUNT KITS, etc. If you are shopping for load cells for your customers,  service facilities, or special projects, please contact us a quotation!

Number nine is SHIPMENTS. The factory just upgraded and added UPS new service for larger-than-parcel but smaller-than-LTL freight packages. This service is ideal for 6400’s and M64’s which are pushing 100 lbs. So if you order a Pennsylvania Scale item, please mention “the new BEST WAY shipping”, and we will automatically upgrade the shipment to the most efficient cost-effective way, including UPS HUNDREDWEIGHT or the new service.

Number eight is FREIGHT DISCOUNTS. The factory in Lancaster PA has some amazing outbound freight rates from popular carriers. Unlike some of the competition Pennsylvania does pass along the outbound volume discount for PREPAY & ADD shipments. You may be very surprised!

Number seven is BAGGAGE SCALE ELECTRONIC KITS are once again hot items as government and aviation spending is finally coming back. 1-4 displays. Keep the existing platform and do both your customers and yourself a huge favor and upgrade to more reliable and serviceable M64 electronics.

Number six is PANEL MOUNT OPTIONS for scale indicators. We have a new design that allows retrofitting of panel-mounted indicators fitting the cut-outs for both the former UMC-600 and UMC700 models as well as the smaller openings for the original UMC-555 models, making exact field replacement easy and efficient. Contact factory for details.

Alright we’re half way home. Number five is HIGH RESOLUTION WEIGHING, many distributors are replacing overcomplicated and hard-to-use “foreign” indicators with Pennsylvania 7600 series indicators in high resolution applications. You can easily ‘push’ resolution on Pennsylvania scales and meters due, in a large part, to the premium A-D converter they use… If you need to add utility and simplify life for your maintenance technicians as well as your employees, try using 7600+ or 7600E units.

Number four is non-standard resolutions and weight units can be easily handled at the factory—including ‘pushed’ resolution (non-NTEP), double/triple ranging, special units of measure (PRIMARY/SECONDARY units—specify with order, n/c). Like a certain fast food burger chain likes to say, special orders don’t upset us – all we ask is that you let us build it your way!

Ok, number three is FAST SHIPPING AND STOCK SHIPMENTS. The factory has added staff and efficiency in Lancaster. Most standard products ship from STOCK or 1-2 day delivery. IF YOU need equipment right away, please ask, we can often get scales and spare parts quickly. Continue reading

Can I Buy An American Made Digital Weight Indicator?

Quite often a customer will contact us looking to buy a scale. Often they will have a list of features that they’re looking for, most of which we are able to accommodate.  It could be that they need a large size floor scale or maybe they need a scale to be extremely accurate. Or maybe they need a scale that can connect to their computer system via USB or ethernet cable.

doran 7000xlm weight meter

However there is one question about digital weighing indicators that makes us stop and think for a few seconds. Can I buy a Made in the USA digital weight readout for my scale? You see many of our favorite U.S. scale manufacturers actually import their digital indicators.

So as of today the best choices we can come up with for true Made in the USA quality when it comes to digital weight indicators would be the following:

  • Pennsylvania Scale 7600
  • Doran Scales 7000XLM
  • Cambridge CSW-10

The Pennsylvania 7600E is a really nice indicator for truck scale customers who are looking for a nice indicator that has many great features but doesn’t cost a fortune.  The Cambridge CSW-10 is an entry level basic indicator that is great for simple weighing applications.

So there you have it. If you are serious about finding made in the U.S.A. scale equipment we can provide that for you. It may be a little tough to find sometimes and it may cost a little more than the chinese imported products but in most cases we can get you a MADE IN THE USA weighing product.