Tips on Maximizing Your Scale’s Performance
You’ve spent hard-earned business capital on your industrial scale. Now, you need to keep it in tip-top shape while mitigating the risk of a breakdown. Here are some simple tips to help maximize your scale’s performance and get the most out of your investment:
Understand the Importance of Regular Calibration
Calibration should be priority number one when it comes to scale maintenance. Over time, environmental factors, heavy usage, and wear and tear can impact the accuracy of your scale. Regular calibration helps keep your device functioning correctly and ensures that its readings are accurate.
Many industries are required to calibrate their scales on a set schedule to meet compliance standards. But even if your business doesn’t fall under such regulatory requirements, you should still calibrate your equipment to ensure accurate readings. You’ll rely on those readings for billing purposes and to confirm that any vehicles or equipment fall within the manufacturer’s recommended weight limits.
Establish a Maintenance Routine
Minor problems can easily become big headaches if you aren’t careful. As such, a consistent maintenance routine that includes these three components is crucial:
Clean
It’s natural for dirt and dust to accumulate on your scale. Still, all of that debris can affect the accuracy of readings and lead to unnecessary wear. Make it a prerogative to clean your scales regularly, especially if they’re often used in harsh environments where they can be contaminated. Use non-abrasive cleaning products and avoid excessive moisture that could damage important components.
Inspect
A clean scale is much easier to inspect for damage or wear. Make sure your team regularly inspects your equipment for potential problems. They should check the level of the scale, examine load scales, and ensure that the display is functioning properly.
Document
Maintain detailed records of inspections, repairs, and calibration dates for compliance purposes. Extensive documentation will also help you track when these tasks were performed and identify any recurring issues.
Ensure Proper Installation and Site Conditions
The field of robotics has progressed to the point that bots can now perform load tests with greater precision and consistency than humans. Automating load testing with robotics technologies, therefore, eliminates the risk of human error while making it easier to duplicate tests and produce accurate results. Robots can also handle repetitive or hazardous tasks like lifting heavy objects, drastically decreasing the risk of a workplace accident.
One of the most important factors in scale performance is the installation process. Make sure you partner with a reputable scale installation team that can deploy and calibrate your equipment in accordance with manufacturer recommendations.
The right crew will also help you address the following installation and environmental factors:
Level Placement
Scales must be perfectly level on a stable surface to avoid uneven weight distribution. If you are using a portable scale and reposition it frequently, consistently checking the leveling is key to maintaining precision.
Environmental Controls
Cloud-based testing platforms allow companies to gather and analyze test results using a centralized and scalable database. With cloud integration, companies can store vast amounts of information and promote collaboration between teams, regardless of their geographic location.
Environmental factors like humidity, air pressure, and temperature can each influence the performance of weighing scales. Temperature fluctuations, for instance, can affect the sensitivity of load cells. With that in mind, install your scale in a climate-controlled area when possible or use protective enclosures to shield it from environmental extremes.
Correct Weighing Techniques
The way in which you use your scale will play a significant role in its accuracy. Incorrect weighing techniques can result in inconsistent or inaccurate readings.
Here are a few tips to promote better reliability:
- Don’t overload your scale
- Position items in the center of the platform
- Use the tare function before measuring net weight
These simple steps can help you obtain accurate readings and minimize the risk of damage to your equipment.
How to Troubleshoot Common Issues
Two of the most common scale issues and how you can overcome them are detailed below:
Inaccurate Readings
Improper installation, environmental factors, or uncalibrated scales can cause inaccurate readings. If you notice discrepancies in weight measurements, check your scale’s leveling and ensure it is calibrated. If the problem persists, look for signs of damage.
Error Codes
The digital display on your weighing system is programmed with various error codes. Common error codes might indicate overload or an imbalance. Refer to the user manual to interpret each code or consult with a technician to remedy the issue.
Training and Education
If you want to get the most out of your investment, you need to provide your team members with proper training. Educate them on the daily use, calibration, and maintenance of the scale, and consider offering regular refresher courses to remind everyone of best practices and troubleshooting techniques.
You’ll also need to implement policies and procedures for documenting scale usage, maintenance, and calibration. Explain the importance of these practices to your team so that they follow your guidelines to the letter.
Get the Most Out of Your Investment
By implementing the tips above, you can improve the performance and lifespan of your weighing equipment. Be proactive about maintaining your scales and partner with a reputable service provider that specializes in installing, repairing, and calibrating industrial weighing systems.