Author Archives: Scale Man

New Type Of Load Cell Cable Available

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For scales requiring additional pest control, a uniquely coated load cell cable is now available. The EL147RP Plus load cell cable from Rice Lake Weighing Systems comes with an additional chemical layer that is distasteful to rodents.

load cell cable

A traditional braided copper exterior is a strong deterrent, but with the extra layer, appropriately named “NAW” chemical coating, users will receive the added benefit of a repellent. The chemical layer is not a poison, but rather a deterrent that protects the cable’s integrity from potentially damaging pests. If this is a common problem for your truck scale it might be worth trying some of this cable. Ideal for truck and railroad track scales.

Buy A Lab Balance And Adam Donates Money to African School

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To help commemorate Adam Equipment’s 40th anniversary, Adam Equipment has pledged a financial contribution to support the expansion of the Star School in Rwanda, through the Mission Possible global initiative.

In an effort to increase the number of students taught in the primary and secondary classrooms, the school sought to increase the building capacity through a new facility. The building will provide space for an additional 280 students to enroll in classes. This project will increase educational opportunities for the children served by Star School, giving them a chance at a better future and helping them to learn key skills that will provide a lasting effect. The project is scheduled for completion in January 2013, in time for the new term.

Adam has already presented the first of several payments to the Star School, helping to cover the cost of building a larger facility. Construction has started, with the pouring of a foundation for the new structure. This is one small way in which Adam Equipment hopes to commemorate their anniversary and give back to the global community.

For every PW analytical balance, PGW precision balance and PMB moisture balance purchased from now the until end of November*, Adam Equipment will donate an additional $15 to the Star School project. We hope you will take this into consideration as Continue reading →

MSHA Guidelines for Truck Scales

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The Mine Safety and Health Administration or MSHA (nicknamed “emshaw”) is the government organization that oversees safety at mines, quarries, and related industries. MSHA is headquartered in Arlington, VA, with district offices at six locations around the United States. There are presently over 850 inspectors within MSHA.

Rails for Truck ScaleHow does MSHA impact scales and the scale industry? Legislation has been on the books since the 1970s relating to berms, guardrails, elevated roadways, bridges, and roads on mine property. These regulations, however, have been very loosely enforced with respect to truck scales. Truck scales have just recently been clearly defined by MSHA as elevated roadways and are therefore now subject to MSHA policies regarding guardrails and berms.

In early 2009 MSHA inspectors initiated an aggressive campaign at these facilities, levying significant fines and penalties related to guardrails on truck scales. Compliance has generally been left to the discretion of the local MSHA inspector. MSHA has been vague in the past as to what was expected from scale owners. The most common criteria provided by MSHA up until this time was that “guardrails were to be half the height of the largest tire on a powered vehicle to cross the scale.” Rice Lake and other scale suppliers have provided higher rails to satisfy the requirement—and this appeared to be acceptable to most MSHA inspectors. This interpretation changed with the release of the MSHA policy letter on August 26, 2010.

The new policy as it relates to truck scales applies specifically to all mining operations and businesses located on mine property, including aggregate facilities, sand and gravel, bulk cement, concrete plants, asphalt operations, strip mines, tipple operations, coal loadouts, and other related businesses. These policies apply to both metal and non-metal mine facilities. Continue reading →

Do You Need To Always Have Forks Perfectly Level with Rice Lake CLS scale?

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If you have a Rice Lake Cargo Lift Scale (CLS) on your forklift. Do you always have to have the forks perfectly level when taking a weight reading?

Until recently, Rice Lake CLS systems have been NTEP approved to +/- 3 degrees from level, and anything outside of that range would not display a weight. The majority of forklift masts will tilt back about 5 degrees and occasionally systems have to account for an uneven ground slope as well. To accommodate this, Rice Lake recently made some system improvements to acquire NTEP approval at +/- 7 degrees, giving newer CLS models the highest out-of-level compensation of any forklift scale on the market. And better yet, we achieve that accuracy with our simple 4-point calibration procedure.

What’s especially nice about this for operators is that they don’t need to change how they would pick up a load or safely carry it in order to get the scale to work. The improved CLS system will measure the majority of loads within a normal operating range.

Scale Requirements for Buying Gold

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From time to time, someone will contact us looking to start a business buying back gold jewelry from customers. With the price of gold recently it’s becoming more popular than ever. However, there are some real important things to consider. The scale being used to weigh the gold needs to be a precise and accurate scale. In many states, that means the scale used for weighing gold needs to be NTEP approved legal for trade.

For example, in the state of Michigan, the following information is listed on their website regarding buying and selling precious metals. See more at http://www.michigan.gov/mdard/0,4610,7-125-1569_19192_21233-233502–,00.html

The Office of Weights and Measures has received numerous inquiries from local authorities responsible for issuing licenses, and individuals buying and selling gold from retail or residential locations. Operators of businesses buying and selling such commodities by weight in the State of Michigan must comply with the requirements of the Michigan Weights and Measures Law, Public Act 283 of 1964 as amended. Business operators must also check with local authorities for specific requirements of local ordinances and licensing requirements that apply. State Law requires that all commercial transactions conducted, based upon a determined weight, must be conducted with the use of an approved scale.  Below is a summary of the basic requirements for all commercial weighing and measuring devices (scales/meters).

 

  • Scale used is Class II or Class III, NTEP (National Type Evaluation Program) approved (legal for trade)
  • Scale used is tested onsite prior to use by an approved Michigan Registered Agency (third party) or a State Weights and Measures Official
  • A Placed in Service Report and a test report for the device are submitted to the Office of Weights and Measures Continue reading →

What Scales Are Supported by UPS Worldship?

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Updated April 2022

We get this question quite often, so straight from the UPS website, here is what they list as the supported scales that connect to their Worldship software. We actually use Worldship software and the Mettler Toledo PS60 in our shipping department and it works great.

If you purchase a scale these days, the PS60 is no longer available, so you will want to look at the Mettler Toledo BC60 instead.  The BC-60 is available with a flat top platter or balltop design so you can roll boxes right off the scale.  The MT BC 60 scale has a 150 lb capacity.

recommended scales for UPS Worldship software

Our scale connects to the computer and the weight is displayed on the computer screen. So whenever we ship a package, we just place the box on the scale and the weight automatically displays on the scale and on the computer screen. This eliminates the task of having to manually type the weight into the software. We offer most of the Continue reading →

CenterPoint Series Tank And Hopper Weighing Systems Offer High Quality

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Cardinal Scale’s new CenterPoint series Tank and Hopper Weighing Systems utilize double-ended shear beam stainless steel load cells with center load design for optimum efficiency in mixing, blending, batching, inventory control, and general weighing.

The bolt-in-place mounting assembly with articulating top plate makes them ideal for indoor or outdoor weighing applications. Available in three or four legged mounting assemblies with mild or stainless steel stands and self-checking sliding pin design, the Cardinal CenterPoint load cell kits may be combined with one of Cardinal’s state-of-the-art 200 series weight indicators for a complete digital weighing system.

Ideal for new installations or conversions, each kit comes complete with three or four stainless steel IP68 load cells, your choice of mild or stainless steel mounting assemblies, 30 feet of load cell cable, and one stainless steel junction box.

Features and Benefits
* Environmentally-sealed stainless steel load cells
* Self-checking, low-profile mounting assemblies bolt directly to floor and tank
* Light to heavy capacity mounting assemblies available
* Ideal for new installations or conversions
* Rugged bolt-in-place hardware design
* System capacities up to 200,000 pounds

There Is Even A Difference In The Keypad

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Rice Lake utilizes a piezo-type keypad in the CW-90X Checkweigher. These keypads are considerably thicker than traditional overlays and use piezoelectric principles, where pressure creates a mechanical charge within a crystalline layer of the product. You do not notice a tactile sensation of a dome being pushed as with many other keypads. But in the case of the CW-90X, there are certain good things about this.The CW-90X check weighing scale was designed to be used in challenging environments-factory floors, damp food processing type places, etc. In our advertising you might have noticed an individual using a chef’s knife to press a button on the CW-90X. If someone attempted that with a classic keypad, and they do, it will ultimately pierce the dome structure of the button, enabling debris into the keypad and creating failure in a very short period of time.A piezo keypad delivers superior durability. It’s chemical and weather resistant, there isn’t any moving pieces to collapse or break down, and that smooth surface area is very simple to clean. The piezo keypad is not entirely indestructible, however, if someone chooses to utilize their knife instead of their index finger, functionality won’t be jeopardized.

A New Way To Count

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Greater than a digital weight indicator and more than a counting scale, Counterpart from Rice Lake stands alone as a configurable counting indicator, capable of transforming just about any scale platform into a smart piece-counting device-for parts of just about every size and shape. In contrast to classic counting scales, Counterpart uses Rice Lake’s basic configuration method to adapt to the parameters and resolution of any linked scale base, regardless of whether a floor scale, bench scale, or laboratory balance. Counterpart also hooks up with many bar code scanners, label printers, and inventory management software, allowing it to be perhaps the most versatile piece of equipment in any inventory setting.

Rice Lake’s new configurable counting indicator does away with the equipment learning curve. End users merely follow the keys left to right- zero, tare, and sample. View weight, piece weight, description and quantity all simultaneously. And a 10 piece standard sample is all that Counterpart ever requires.

Even though Counterpart was created for operator simplicity, it also offers the high-end features required in greater inventory management and documentation. Onboard Ethernet provides for link with your personal computer where software for Counterpart can take your data storage and reporting features to new levels.
https://www.centralcarolinascale.com/Counterpart.htm

New Modern Medical Scale Now Available

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The newest addition to the Rice Lake Weighing Systems medical line is thinking ahead, acknowledging the needs of current and future Electronic Medical Record (EMR) requirements. The Rice Lake Digital Physician Scale (150-10-5) is one of few medical scales on the market that can be connected to a PC through a built-in USB port.

But that’s not all this surprising new model has in store. Clinics, hospitals and fitness settings will appreciate the lightweight, portable design which also boasts a remarkable 550lb capacity, accommodating the broadest range of patients possible. For more about the features and benefits of the new Rice Lake Digital Physician Scale visit this link