Category Archives: General

Understanding the “True Cost” of a Truck Scale

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truck scales

There’s no question that truck scales are a significant investment for just about any company.

Although a lower-cost truck scale may seem like a more enticing option, the hardware price is only one element of the total cost of a scale.

If you are a potential buyer, then you should be aware of the ways truck scale design, construction techniques, steel content, quality and installation all contribute to the initial price of the scale.

The purchase price is just one element of the total cost of ownership for any truck scale.

You should also understand how maintenance fees will impact the scale value.

Truck scales that require frequent or extensive maintenance can lead to a higher total cost even if their purchase price was lower.

You can use the resources below to help understand every element of truck scale pricing.

Article: What Impacts the Price of a Truck Scale?

Calculator: Total Cost of Ownership

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions about explaining truck scale pricing or about additional information or price quotes on the Rice Lake’s SURVIVOR® line of truck scales.  Call (919) 776-7737 for more information.

Who Needs the Pennsylvania Scale Model 7600 Manual?

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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.

COVID 19 UPDATE

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We have been monitoring the Coronavirus situation very carefully, and prior to the increase in cases, we had already began taking precautions, such as increased hand washing with soap & water, the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer, limiting physical contact (ie handshaking), sterilizing vehicles, limiting access to our building to essential personnel etc…

We take our role in the community seriously and try to make every effort to ensure our customers are taken care of but also that our technicians are safe as our technicians enter their businesses.

It is imperative that we begin to implement additional precautions for the safety of our community, staff and customers:

1.) If you have a service appointment scheduled and you are feeling sick or have been exposed to the Coronavirus, please call and cancel your appointment by contacting us at (919) 776-7737.

2.) Please avoid physical contact with our technicians during the time of the appointment. We will greet you with a smile, but not a handshake at this time.

3.) Please allow us the ability to safely wash our hands with soap and water and practice safe social distancing in your facility. 

4.) Each technician has been equipped with hand sanitizer and/or wipes in an effort to minimize risk. 

5.) If a technician is showing any signs or symptoms of sickness, they will be asked to stay home and get well; therefore, we ask for your patience and understanding in case your appointment must be rescheduled.

We thank you for your patience and understanding during this most challenging and unprecedented time.

Your friends at Central Carolina Scale

NCWM Handbook 44 New Regulations on “Direct Sales” Balances

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The NCWM has issued an updated NTEP regulation, which becomes effective on January 1, 2020. This will affect “direct sales” applications. This will affect customers in “direct sales” applications such as cannabis.

screenshot of NCWM handbook page discussing Class I and II Scales for Direct Sales

According to handbook 44, you cannot sell a Class I or a Class II balance for a direct sale application after January 1, 2020 that doesn’t have “d” equal to “e”.

Any balance currently in the marketplace with “d” not equal to “e” used in a direct sale to the public application must be replaced by January 1, 2023.

Vibra SJ 620 Class 1 balance

The good news is that our SJ 620 (620 g x 0.01 g) Class 1 balance meets this regulation and is available.

Key Features of the SJ 620

• Vibra® Tuning Fork Inside
• Below Balance Weighing
• Reads in g, ct, oz, lb, oz t, GN
• NTEP Approved Legal for Trade
• RS232 Interface via DIN5 Connector
• Optional Rechargeable Battery
• Pan Size: 5.5″ Diameter
• Made in Japan

Call the sales team at Central Carolina Scale today to have one of these scales sent to you. The phone number is (919) 776-7737.

Signs that it’s Time to Update Your Airport Baggage Scale

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Baggage scales are a vital part of an airport. If your scale(s) is not performing as it should, whether it’s inaccurate, not functioning as quickly as it should, or malfunctioning in some other way, it can cause serious problems and complaints for the airport.

People are already dealing with stress while trying to efficiently get to their gate. Many airport employees are likely experiencing a fair amount stress as well, especially during particularly busy times as they try to stay on schedule.

An accurate, well performing baggage scale is vital in order to keep everything moving forward and avoid customer dissatisfaction. It might be time to update your baggage scale if it’s older and parts are outdated.

pennsylvania airline baggage scales

The scale takes a while to provide results

If you notice the display taking a bit of time to show results when weighing baggage, it could indicate a part needs to be replaced or that it’s time to invest in a new scale. Efficiency is so important in airports and you do not want to waste precious minutes or seconds with a slow scale. That time adds up and can cause significant delays, particularly during busy seasons like the holidays when many people are rushing to get somewhere.

Readings are inaccurate

You might start to realize that the readings your scale is taking are slightly off. If you have multiple travelers telling you that they weighed their luggage before coming to the airport and that the reading on your scale is significantly different, it may be time to re-calibrate. While a few pounds is to be expected between an at-home luggage scale and an industry scale that’s actually used in the airport, this problem frequently occurring or a significant difference with multiple travelers is a red flag.

Equipment is simply outdated

Your airport baggage scales might simply be old; maybe you haven’t noticed any significant issues, but are concerned that they’re outdated and it will soon be time to replace them. Get ahead of any issues and look into new Pennsylvania Scale Company baggage scales or simply update vital parts, such as new digital readouts, that can lead to greater efficiency and accuracy.

Why accuracy is so important

Making decisions for the airport without an accurate scale can be risky. You may be over- or undercharging passengers, which can lead to unhappy customers and complaints. It’s also important to get accurate data on the weight of the luggage so that estimates on the amount of weight the plane is carrying can be as close to correct as possible.

If you’re interested in investing in a new airport baggage scale or think some parts need to be updated, please contact the sales department at (919) 776-7737.

CARDINAL ARMOR® TRUCK SCALE COST JUSTIFICATION FACTORS

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Over the past month, we have layed out in great detail some of the benefits of the Cardinal Armor truck scale.

If you consider one of the aforementioned issues problematic, Cardinal Scale’s
ARMOR® digital truck scales can provide the solutions you need.

The ARMOR® provides a great leap forward in truck scale technology. Costly load cell
diagnosis, replacement costs, and load cell damage have been greatly reduced due
to the ARMOR’s paradigm-changing technology. Carefully consider the following cost factors affecting your bottom line:

  1. If your current scale system lacks remote monitoring, factor in the time and costs spent in trying to diagnose the true failure in the weighing system. Diagnosing a
    load cell or cable failure can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days… sometimes more. The costs associated with not having your scale in use for that stretch of time can be as expensive as losing a day’s business.
  2. What are the costs associated with constantly having to repair an analog truck scale’s inefficient and delicate wiring system?
  3. What are the labor costs associated with changing a load cell should it fail?
    Most load cells cost anywhere from $900 to well over $2,000 each… and don’t forget to consider the labor associated with replacing a faulty load cell. Additionally, don’t neglect to factor in the return trip charges associated with having to constantly replace faulty load cells. Return trip charges are a cost that adds up over time and can become a considerable sum.
  4. Routine cleaning and maintenance for load cells that are exposed to debris and moisture can add more costs to the ownership of a truck scale.
  5. If your truck scale is in a location that is susceptible to lightning and power surges,
    digital load cells are a fantastic safeguard to protect your weighing operations.

Contact the heavy capacity sales department at Central Carolina Scale and request a quote for one of these scales. You can call (919) 776-7737 or complete the Request a Quote form.

ARE LIGHTNING STRIKES AND POWER SURGES AN ISSUE FOR YOUR TRUCK SCALE?

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Lightning strikes are one of the most common difficulties that can affect a truck scale.
SmartCell® digital load cells provide superior protection that protects against electrical
uncertainties.

• Truck scales, due to their composition and size, are a magnet for attracting lightning. Many times, these scales are placed in an outdoor area that is exposed to the elements. The main front of protection against lightning strikes and power surges lies in the junction box. Unfortunately, if the junction box is compromised it can cause damage to the whole load cell weighing system. One or more of the load cells can be damaged in a traditional load cell arrangement, which can come at a great cost.

• The gas discharging tubes that divert excess voltage from lightning and power surges are normally placed inside the summing box of analog load cell systems. Cardinal’s SmartCell® digital load cells have the apparatus of discharging excess voltage placed in each load cell. This ability for each load cell to individually protect itself provides another line of protection for the whole load cell system. If a lightning strike or power surge happens, one load cell has the capability of preventing damaging surges from
passing onto other load cells.

• Unfortunately, lightning strikes and power surges are commonplace. These occurrences have the potential to wreak havoc on truck scale electronics. Luckily,
Cardinal’s SmartCell® digital load cells can protect individual load cells and the
entire load cell system from excessive damage caused by freak electrical incidents.

• If you’ve experienced reoccurring problems with damaged load cells and repairs caused by lightning and power surges, SmartCell® digital load cells can help protect your truck scale electronics against severe damage.

DOES IT TAKE YOU A LONG TIME TO CHANGE OUT LOAD CELLS?

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Replacing the SmartCell® load cell is incredibly simple. Most importantly, it is
a very fast procedure that gets your scale back to work in rapid time.

• Ease of use is also continued with installation or replacement of digital load cell (DLC) cards or 225D mainboards in the truck scale’s weight indicator. The 225D indicator can detect whether either option has been replaced using checksums and board identification numbers. The new DLC card or 225D mainboard will be reconfigured to the existing scale by the indicator acknowledging the new card and asking the user to verify if it is new. This simple reconfiguration process saves time and effort.

• One of the most important upgrades the SmartCell® digital load cell offers is the ability for truck scale dealers to change out the load cell in a matter of minutes. Normally, with analog load cells, dealers will have to check, replace, or pull a whole host of wires from the summing box when changing one out. Now, Cardinal’s digital load cells can be removed and replaced in as little as five minutes without any specialized equipment. It really is that short and simple!

• Electronic truck scales with analog load cells require many more moving parts. With an eight-cell system there are up to 100 wires that have to be prepared and terminated, up to 14 configuration jumpers to be set for proper operation, and sense lines must be utilized to regulate excitation voltage. This complicated wiring system lengthens time spent when trying to simply replace a load cell and calibrate it. This cumbersome process is no longer needed with the ARMOR® digital system.

• The ARMOR’s simple load cell connector design and the axis® frictionless centering system’s unique construction permit just a few steps for load cell replacement. After turning off power and jacking up the weighbridge a minimal amount, a single technician
simply has to remove the dual load cell cables, remove two bolts that hold the cell to the weighbridge, and place a new load cell in its place. Next, after applying cleaner and Dielectric grease to the load cell cable connectors, the connectors are reconnected, and the load cell bolts are tightened. It’s just that simple—not another moment needs to be spared on time-consuming load cell replacements.

• If you have to spend large amounts of time dealing with wiring analog load cells, the SmartCell® digital load cell streamlines the tedious task of getting your new load cell in operation.

We offer Cardinal load cells which is the point of this article. We also offer various other brands that you likely have heard of like Artech, Tedea Huntleigh, Sensortronics, and Revere Transducers. However, we also have brands you might not know much about like Flintec load cells and Coti Global. Call us (919) 776-7737 or email us for complete information and availability.

IS YOUR TRUCK SCALE SUBJECT TO DAMAGE FROM DIRT, GRIT, AND GRIME? ARE YOUR LOAD CELLS EXPOSED TO WATER?

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SmartCell® digital load cells provide many layers of protection against damage from water and debris. The SmartCell’s construction, placement, and ingress-blocking technology keep water and grime from damaging the load cells.

• As part of the axis® frictionless centering system that is provided, SmartCell® digital load cells are moved from an exposed area near the ground or beneath the deck to a
placement above the bottom of the deck. Generally, most failures that are associated with debris and sediment build-up happen at the base of the truck scale near ground level, which greatly contributes to corrosion. SmartCell® digital load cells are given
an extra layer of protection against the filth that typically accumulates under truck scales by being situated much higher in the scale weighbridge

• The orientation of the SmartCell® digital load cells in their load cell stand also provides the added bonus of selfcleaning. SmartCell® load cells rest on top of a cup-and-ball system that grinds up sediment and pollutants that might settle in the receiver
cup from day-to-day operations. Normally this accumulation of pollutants would be left
to build up and cause issues with load cell integrity or might cause inaccurate readings, but this self-cleaning feature can help protect the load cell modules from incorrect weighing.

• If, by chance, water levels rise high enough to expose SmartCell® digital load cells to moisture, their rating provides the highest level of protection afforded: IP69K. Their stainless steel casing and potting-filled cell body prevents water from entering the load
cell and damaging valuable digital components that transmit weighing information.

• SmartCell® load cell cables are also placed above the load cell housing to keep wiring clear of exposure to sediment and water. Load cell cables include rat-proofing protection from nibbling rodents.

IS YOUR TRUCK SCALE APPLICATION SUBJECT TO EXTREME TEMPERATURES?

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Extreme weather and temperatures will cause issues for analog load cells. SmartCell® digital load cells provide the much-needed protection to prevent important internal components from failure.

ARMOR® load cells can operate in a wide range of temperatures. SmartCell® load cells are designed to function at high performance in a wide range of settings. Whether your scale is in an extreme environment or a location that has wildly fluctuating weather, SmartCell® digital load cells provide the stability needed to keep your scale weighing accurately.

SmartCell® digital load cells feature a much more simplified wiring system than an analog truck scale system. Generally, within an analog eightcell scale system there are up to 100 wires that have to be prepared and terminated correctly. Traditional analog wiring systems have several runs of wiring that can be exposed to the normal expansion and contraction caused by temperature fluctuations. SmartCell® digital load cells are connected point-to-point in a “daisy-chain” manner with shielded PVC cables; this reduced total wiring and greater wiring protection lessens the damaging effects of severe heat and cold on the ARMOR® digital truck scale system.

If your scale location is in an area that that experiences load cell and wiring failures due to extreme hot and cold temperatures, SmartCell® digital load cell’s innovative design provides the most protection and return on your investment.