Author Archives: Kevin Lamberth

About Kevin Lamberth

Kevin is the VP at Central Carolina Scale and has been providing customers proper weighing equipment for their applications for over twenty years. He often writes about scales and weighing equipment solutions. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinlamberth/

Strain Gauge Load Cell Designs From Cardinal Scale Manufacturing

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But in today’s ultra competitive climate, it’s getting very difficult to find domestic built load cells. In fact we wrote about that not too long ago, you can click here to see that article.

Today I wanted to look at several of the load cell designs that are available from Cardinal that distributors like Central Carolina Scale sell everyday. Of course, load cells convert force into an electrical signal and are a very important part of things like hanging scales, truck scales, floor scales, and many other medical or industrial weighing systems. The load cell sensor detects force and moves the strain gauge, which then measures the movement as an electrical signal that can be used to give power to the scale.

Located in Webb City Missouri, Cardinal Scale Mfg. is one of the largest load cell and strain gauge providers in the U.S. with their own state-of-the-art load cell facility. Cardinal features a wide variety of load cells for use with all weighing systems. From powerful aluminum alloy electronic load cells to durable stainless steel load cells, each model is available in a range of capacities. Continue reading →

Legal For Trade Price Computing Scales State Testing Info You Can Use

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legal for trade price computing scaleEvery year dozens and dozens of our customers either purchase new retail scales or they have their current legal for trade scale calibrated or certified. These are typically scales they can use at places like the farmers market to sell their fruits and vegetables by the pound. Basically any device used where items are bought or sold by weight is typically required by most state’s laws to be inspected and certified. This would include a counter top scale at a farmer’s market (or mechanical hanging scale) that is used to weigh produce that customers want to buy. Of course, inspecting a retail scale is an advantage to both the farmer and the customer.

I’ve mentioned this in the past but if you are buying or selling your items based on weight, you want to make sure that you purchase a scale that has NTEP approval. The certificate of conformance or CoC# should be on the side of the scale. The article below is also a good resource.

Keep in mind that no device is perfect and must be adjusted periodically. It is also recommended that you do not buy cheap quality scales that will likely not last. There are regional inspectors located across the state that will coordinate with the marketer to complete the certification. The inspectors have a set of standard weights calibrated annually for correctness. They will use these weights to test the marketer’s scales. Once you scale has been inspected you need to recertify every two years.  If the scale is out of tolerance (deemed inaccurate) a scale repair service must fix the scale or a new unit must be purchased. Click here to read entire article. Continue reading →

Can I Buy An American Made Floor Scale?

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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 →

So You’re Looking For Cheap Veterinary Scales?

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Quite often we are asked for a set of “cheap vet scales to weigh my ______ (fill in the blank)”.  It could be dogs, cats, llama, alpaca, pigs, sheep, goats, etc… Unfortunately these days when you say the word cheap or affordable or low cost, you almost always have to supply scales that are made in China. And of course when you talk about electronics from overseas, you can get a wide range of quality.  As for made in the USA, we don’t really have many choices for American Made veterinary scales if anyone is interested, but they are more expensive.

So, assuming you still want to stick with the “affordable” vet scales, let’s take a look at a few of the imported vet scale models currently available that we like.

Cheap Veterinary Scales

The Weighsouth VS-2501 vet scale is a heavy duty vet scale that is a really good scale for many applications. This scale is well built and one of our favorites in this market. The price is good and the quality and durability have been impressive. As you can see from the pictures in the link above the scale has a nice digital indicator and adjustable feet.

The Brecknell line of animal and livestock scales is very impressive. They have several smaller scales for weighing small animals. They have three different sizes of the PS500 which are great for vet hospitals. If you need a larger platform and capacity, they offer the PS1000 which has a 1000 pound capacity and 55″ x 20″ platform, the PS2000 which is a larger 59″ x 30″ platform with 2000 pound capacity and the PS3000 with 3000 pound capacity and 39″ x 78″ platform.

The LVS 700 digital scale is an affordable choice especially for individuals looking to weigh their animals at home. The scale is easy to use and the display is easy to read. We have the standard size of this scale and we also have a “Extra Large” version of this scale which is slightly bigger. The platform has small wheels on one end and a handle so it can be carefully transported to another nearby location if needed.

So which vet scale should you purchase? Our suggestion is to contact us and we can walk you through the pros and the cons of each animal scale that we offer. We have sold all of these scales over the years and have experience with them, either directly or through our customers reviews. Give us a call and we can review each of the items with you and make sure that you get the correct vet scale for your particular application. Our main phone number is (919) 776-7737 and the website is www.centralcarolinascale.com if you prefer to email us.

Zemic Load Cell Wiring and Part Numbers

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At Central Carolina Scale, we have a wide range of standard load cells in stock. If you’re looking for custom load cells, we can get quotes on those, usually within one business day.  We also provide weighing assemblies used in tank weighing and batching systems and bulk weighing applications. With over 30,000 quality items available in stock, nobody offers faster, more reliable load cells for your applications. From small tension sensors to 1,000,000 lb capacity truck scale and tank weighing assemblies, we have solutions to fit any need. Our extensive inventory of equipment and accessories means you can get your replacement or new load cell quickly.

Zemic Load Cell Wiring

We currently offer the lineup of Zemic load cells through one of our top suppliers Brecknell Scales. The lineup of Brecknell load cells and supporting products from Zemic are ideal for many weighing applications that you may encounter. The full range of Zemic load cells should compliment and support your service and original equipment requirements. Be sure to visit our site which includes all the Brecknell loadcell info you need. This will also show the load cell wiring color codes for each load cell as well. The types of load cells include S-beam, Single end beam, Double end beam, Single point, Canister, and accessories like load cell feet and summing boards. Many of the Brecknell load cells are interchangeable with the “brand name” load cells that you’re used to. So if your normal brand name load cell is out Continue reading →

Rice Lake Adds New 480 Legend Indicator To Lineup

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The flagship of Rice Lake’s Legend Series, the 480 digital weight indicator has been perfected to provide the very best in performance and value.

Advance to Rice Lake’s Legend Series—classic Rice Lake quality and design with new ideas for tomorrow. As the flagship of Rice Lake’s Legend Series, the 480 digital weight indicator has been perfected to provide the very best in performance and value.

With its stainless steel enclosure and advanced gasket system, the industrial-strength 480 is built for dirty, wet environments and demanding workplaces, inside or out. Advanced circuitry also withstands electrical noise, power disturbances and transient spikes that are common to industrial applications.

Rice Lake’s 480 is the industry’s first choice for readability. With its large, ultra-bright LED display, 0.8 inch digits and sharp contrast, the 480 provides superior display visibility. Its six-button tactile keypad allows for quick navigation and programming. Connect the 480 to a printer, PC or remote display and make use of configurable print formats, time and date function, and local/remote capability.

Whether it’s used in heavy capacity or batching operations, the 480 powers as many as ten 350 ohm load cells in parallel. Engineered with Rice Lake’s advanced digital filtering, the 480 Legend Series promises top speed without sacrificing weight stability.