Rice Lake Roughdeck Floor Scales Are Built in America & Designed For Industrial Environments

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Roughdeck floor scales manufactured by Rice Lake Weighing Systems in Wisconsin are simply the strongest and most accurate floor scales available. These Made in USA heavy-duty scales are built tough from start to finish and lives up to its name with a superior structural design which has proven so durable that each Roughdeck carries a full five-year warranty on the deck structure.

Roughdeck floor scale design separates itself from other floor scales by minimizing deck deflection and other forces that could damage load cells. This provides greater accuracy and repeatability with every weighment. These floor scales can also be made in any custom size, shape, or capacity to meet unique needs. Rice Lake uses an intense cleaning process to remove all foreign materials and residue before painting to ensure proper paint bonding. Thick coats of paint are applied adding to each scales industry leading durability.

Stainless steel decks are abrasive blasted for a clean finish suitable for corrosive, chemical or washed down environments. Included with all models the rugged stainless steel Toughseal junction boxes are specifically designed to protect sensitive circuitry. Adjustable stainless steel Surefoot support feet decrease extraneous forces on the load cells resulting in superior accuracy and repeatability.

All Roughdeck models have threaded holes in the deck. This allows for the installation of eyebolts for use when lifting the scale with chains or using a spreader bar during installation or when servicing. All assembled Roughdeck scales are delivered with the junction box corner trimmed which equalizes load cell output. Standard or customized; the Roughdeck series is available in low profile, stationary, and portable versions and offers component interchangeability and alternative construction materials to meet specific industrial requirements.

From basic shipping and receiving, to highly corrosive or washed down environments. Rice Lake has a Roughdeck to meet any need. From weighing pallets, steel coils, truck axles, and even people or animals – Rice Lake floor scales carry the durable reputation and strength of the Roughdeck name. Durability and performance to last a lifetime.

If you are looking for a reliable weighing solution that is built tough and designed to last, please give us a call at (919) 776-7737 or fill out the request a quote form on our website.

Virginia Man Reels in Fish Weight Record Catch

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Since we offer so many great fishing scales for clubs and tournaments we thought it might be interesting to our readers to share a story. You may have already heard about it but there was a record catch that was made recently on the North Carolina coast. Neil Manning of Ashburn, Virginia, reeled in a 138-pound fish Nov. 16 while fishing off Hatteras. The fish measured 85 inches from the tip of the lower jaw to the fork in the tail. At one time you could see  all the North Carolina Saltwater Fishing records on a site we had linked here but it is no longer valid.

Some of the fish you’ll see listed in the North Carolina records link above include: Albacore, Amberjack, Barracuda, Black Sea Bass, Striped Bass, Bluefish, Cobia, Croaker, Dolphin, Drum, Flounder, Grouper, Hogfish, Kingfish, King Mackerel, Blue Marlin, White Marlin, Perch, Pigfish, Pinfish, Sailfish, Scamp, Blue Shark, Hammerhead Shark, Lemon Shark, Tiger Shark, Snapper, Spadefish, Spearfish, Swordfish, Tarpon, Triggerfish, Trout, Tuna and Wahoo.

Getting back to the original point of the post, the previous state record for white marlin was 118 pounds, 8 ounces, caught off the coast of North Carolina’s Oregon Inlet in 1976. In case you’re curious, the all time record world wide for white marlin was done in Brazil and weighed over 180 pounds.

digital hanging scale for weighing fish caught in ocean

Most of our scale systems that we sell on a regular basis to fishing clubs and tournaments are lower capacity models designed for weighing small mouth bass for example. Our standard capacity is usually around 50 pounds and the scale has an actual platform that is usually around 12″ x 12″. However, in order to weigh some of the larger saltwater fish that are mentioned in the article above, we would typically recommend some type of digital hanging scale. We have a variety to choose from and likewise several price points are available as well. You can contact us M-F 8-4:30 at (919) 776-7737

Are You Ready for the Latest Changes in Billable Weight for Shipping Carriers?

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Have you seen the latest pricing and billing strategies utilized by large shipping carriers like FedEx®, UPS® and DHL®? In order to more accurately reflect billable weight, these large freight carriers are now determining shipment pricing based on either dimensioning or actual weight — whichever is greater. If you’re shipping quite a few boxes each day, that can mean a lot of extra fees and/or extra time measuring boxes with a tape measure.

Fortunately, Rice Lake now offers the iDimension™ 100 which is the fastest solution for calculating NTEP Certified dimensions of boxes, flats, polybags, tubes and other irregular-shaped packages.

This out-of-the-box solution ensures freight compliance and deters revenue loss from miscalculated dimensions in retail, office and shipping environments. With the operator display directly attached and no PC interface required, iDimension 100 delivers instant dimensions with a quick and easy setup.

3d image for UPS box dimensions and weight

– Calculates NTEP Certified dimensions in 0.2 seconds
– No moving parts, no special handling
– Quick assembly—includes all necessary hardware and tools
– No PC interface required to set up, configure or manually enter dimensions into 3rd party software
– Interfaces with NTEP Certified shipping scales and select Rice Lake indicators via USB connection
– Take measurements to a new dimension with the iDimension 100.
– Simply open, assemble and display dimensions. Instantly.

By adding the iDimension 100 to your warehouse you can ultimately save money and time, leading to more productivity and profitability for your company. For more information, please visit our website or contact us a (919) 776-7737.

Rice Lake 720i Weight Indicator – Reports, Customers, Transactions

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The standard truck in/out functionality of the Rice Lake 720i is very effective. But with a little bit of programming, the 720i can do a lot more including customer or material reports. The standard truck in/out modes are used to handle multiple truck ID numbers and weights. Truck IDs can be up to 16 alphanumeric characters in length. The terminology for the truck storage includes:

Stored IDs
Let you keep a database of truck IDs and weigh-in weights in the indicator’s memory. The indicator can automatically store up to 1000 truck IDs and tares; or it can clear the information after printing a weigh-out ticket. For example, if the same truck seldom crosses the scale, it may not be practical to save its ID number and weigh-in weight. However, if that same truck crosses the scale many times each day, it’s more convenient to store the information in the indicator memory and recall it when needed. Stored IDs and weights are available in modes 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Keyed Tare
Allow you to manually enter the tare weight using the numeric keypad and the key. Keyed tares are available in modes 1, 3, and 5. To use keyed tares, an incoming truck must be empty at weigh-in, full at weigh-out.

Value Swapping
Ensures that the lower of two weight values associated with a particular ID number is used as the tare weight. For example, if a truck crosses the scale fully loaded at weigh-in, then unloads and crosses the scale empty at weigh-out, the indicator automatically assigns the lesser (empty truck) weight as the tare. Value swapping is available in modes 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Mode ……… Stored IDs ………… Keyed Tares ………… Value Swapping
MODE 1 …….. NO …………………… YES ……………………. YES
MODE 2 …….. NO ……………………. NO …………………….. YES
MODE 3 …….. YES …………………. YES ……………………. YES
MODE 4 …….. YES ………………….. NO …………………….. YES
MODE 5 …….. YES ………………… YES ……………………… NO
MODE 6 …….. YES …………………. NO ……………………… NO

WEIGH IN
In modes 1 and 2, the indicator erases truck ID numbers and tare weights from memory after the transaction. In modes 3–6, the truck ID and weigh-in weight values are saved after the weigh-out ticket has been processed.

The general weigh-in procedure is as follows:
1. The empty truck moves onto the scale for weigh-in.
2. Press the Weigh In softkey.
3. A prompt is shown to enter the truck ID (up to eight alphanumeric characters). Enter the ID, then press the Enter key.
4. Indicator generates the weigh-in ticket:
5. Truck leaves the scale.

WEIGH OUT
The general weigh-out procedure is as follows:
1. The loaded truck moves onto the scale for weigh-out.
2. If truck ID is known, press the Weigh Out softkey, enter the ID, and press the Enter key.
If ID is not known, press the Truck Regs softkey to view list of stored IDs. Scroll to the correct truck ID, note the ID number, then press the Cancel softkey to return to the weight display. From the weight display, press Weigh Out, key in the ID, then press the Enter key.
3. Indicator generates the weigh-out ticket. In modes 1 and 2, the ID is deleted once the weigh-out ticket is processed.

Single-Transaction Tare Weights and IDs
One-time transactions are supported in all modes that can be configured to use stored IDs (modes 3–6). This function allows one-time weighing of trucks without adding the truck ID and weigh-in weight to the permanent truck register. To use this function, press the Weigh In or Weigh Out softkey, then enter a truck ID containing a decimal point. IDs entered with a decimal point as part of the ID are erased from the truck register when the transaction is complete.

ADVANCED MODE
Now to the real point of the article! With some additional programming, the standard out of the box 720i weight controller can deliver a lot more for your business. With the Truck Storage “Advanced Mode” you can run reports based on several factors such as:

SUMMARY REPORTS
Report from beginning date to ending date specified by the operator. (DDMMYYY)
Report by material, customer or source

DAILY
Report of selected date entered by operator, can be all transactions or by a selected shift (1, 2 or 3)

DETAIL
All transactions in the database or pending transactions only

CODE LIST
List of stored items by material, customer or source Continue reading →

Detecto Solo Medical Scale Now Available

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DETECTO’s brand-new solo® eye-level clinical scale is the most economical, high-quality digital physician scale with height rod available. The solo® doctor scale is in stock and available now for orders. The Detecto solo® indicator features 8 simple buttons that are easily identifiable in any language.

The scale’s RS-232 serial port allows you to output measurement data to EMR/EHR software. Simply step on the scale to weigh and the scroll arrows let you rapidly enter your height to factor BMI. Call us at (919) 776-7737 to request a quote today.

• 550 lb x 0.2 lb / 250 kg x 0.1 kg capacity
• 14 in W x 15 in D x 2.4 in H low-profile platform
• Inline mechanical height rod
• Eye-level weight display and column
• One-inch-high LCD readouts
• Body Mass Index calculation
• Integral wheels for mobility
• RS232 serial port
• Convenient audible beep confirmation
• Powered by 6 AA batteries (included) or an optional AC adapter

The scale’s mechanical height rod is situated to the side of the LCD, so it never interferes with viewing measurements. The oversized 14 x 15 inch platform with rubber mat is only 2.4 inches high making it easy for patients to step on and off. The AC port is located in the base, so no pesky wires dangle from up on the indicator (AC Adapter optional: model PD-AC). Two integral wheels allow for ease of movement whenever you need to transport the solo®.

Detecto Scale, an ISO-9001 certified scale manufacturer, markets a complete line of quality weighing products for the healthcare, foodservice and shipping/logistics industries. Detecto’s headquarters and factory is in Webb City, Missouri, USA with warehouses in Canada and England and distributors in over 110 countries. Founded in 1900, Detecto Scale is the largest medical scale manufacturer in the United States.

The family-owned and privately-held company employs a staff of 350 associates trained in manufacturing high-quality weighing products. Detecto’s customer service, technical support, and aftermarket parts departments are all located at the factory headquarters in Webb City, MO. The company offers software, hardware, and connectivity support directly from the factory.

Happy New Year!

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As 2015 comes to a close, we would like to wish you a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2016! We truly value each and every one of our clients, and look forward to serving you in the years to come.

2015 was an exciting year for us. We helped launch new digital weight indicators from Avery Weigh-Tronix and Rice Lake Weighing Systems, repaired and calibrated hundreds of different scales, and continued to improve our infrastructure and business processes. We have a number of things lined up for next year as well. Feel free to get in touch with us regarding any ideas or thoughts that you may have, as we find client feedback to be invaluable when it comes to enhancing our services.

In 2015 we celebrated our 35th year in business! Time flies by doesn’t it?  We’re still 100% focused on providing high quality weighing equipment at outstanding prices and providing great service. We look forward to what the next 35 years has in store!

Happy New Year and Thank you for being a loyal CCS customer!

Solid State Relay Versus Mechanical Relay

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The argument about which is better, solid-state relays (SSRs) or electromechanical relays (EMRs), has raged on for many years. The answer is actually neither, as each relay type has positive and negative aspects. But if you factor in specific application requirements, clear winners emerge.

Actually, SSRs aren’t relays at all, but rather electronic circuits. The control inputs are connected internally to an LED, which shines across an air gap to light sensors. The light sensor is connected to the transistors which open or close, supplying the relay’s load with power. When a transistor is closed, current can flow freely through the relay, causing the load and power supply to be connected. When a transistor is open, almost all current is blocked, causing the load to become disconnected from the power supply. The pairing of an LED with light sensors is called an opto-coupler, and is a common technique to link two parts of a circuit without a direct electrical connection.

Mechanical relays use an electromagnetic coil to open or close the circuit. When current runs through the input and energizes the coil, it creates a small magnetic field which either pulls the arm of the switch away from the other contact of the switch, or pushes it down to close the switch depending on the how the switch is made. A relay also serves as an isolator, because the control (input) and load (output) ends of the relay are not electrically connected. This allows you to protect the device you’re using to control the relay from power surges in your application.

doran 2200 digital weight indicator with relays

Ok then, when should you use each type?

Whether to use an EMR or SSR depends on a number of factors such as the application’s environment, electrical requirements, and cost or budget.

Use SSR for:
• Applications requiring high speed and frequent switching operations.
• Applications in high vibration environments.
• Application where the relay has to be located near sensitive automation components, such as PLC’s, HMIs, and temperature controllers.
• Applications in dusty or humid environments.
• Applications in hazardous locations (presence of fumes or gases)

Use EMR for:
• Applications requiring a wide output range from the relay.
• Applications using motors & transformers requiring high starting amps.
• Applications where the initial installation budget is very limited.
• Applications prone to current surges and voltage spikes.

EMR or SSR… we have choices for you. Our Doran Scale lineup of products offers both types of relays in the Internal Relay option (Part# EXOPT106) and the External Relay Option (Part# EXOPT107).

How To Save Over $100 On Your Phone, Internet & TV Every Month

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Like most of you I needed to find ways to cut costs at my home. Between mortgage payments, health insurance premiums, and other household expenses that always seem to be creeping up, I needed to find a way to reduce my monthly spending.

After doing some homework and having quite a few discussions at the kitchen table, I decided that one area that I could make substantial cuts was with home phone service, cable television, and high speed internet. Those three services had slowly risen from around $100 per month, aka… the “triple play”, to over $180 per month for my family which is approximately an extra $1000 a year of added expenses.

Now I could have called and haggled and threatened to cancel my services. In fact, I did that a few years ago and saved a few dollars temporarily but in a year I was right back in the same boat. This time I wanted to make a substantial, long lasting dent in my spending.

HOME PHONE
After doing some extensive research, I decided to switch my home phone service to Ooma. I had heard of the product for years but never thought much of it until I finally hit my limit with the phone company. I’ve been using Ooma for about three months and it works fairly well. The calls are usually good quality and after paying the initial equipment charge of around $129, my monthly fees are just $4.99 which is for the taxes and junk fees that you see on every phone bill.  Now I could have just canceled home phone altogether and used just cell phones or done something like Google Voice. But, I wanted to keep my home phone number and I didn’t feel confident that Google would keep their Voice product going since they are notorious for stopping their products whenever they see fit. I had my phone number ported for a one time fee and that went smoothly. So, Ooma is a pretty nice option in my opinion and it saves me money each month. And honestly I don’t use my home phone all that much anyway.

HOME INTERNET
Sometimes it’s funny to think back to what we used to do fifteen years ago for internet. Remember NetZero or AOL or having to run a phone cable from the phone jack to the back of your PC?  Anyway, my internet charges were starting to get out of control. So when I called my provider, TWC, a few months ago, they would not work with me. Period. If I wanted to cancel my “triple play” plan, I would have to pay $70/month for stand alone internet service even though they had multiple offers listed on their website for much cheaper internet. You see I didn’t qualify for those rates since I was an existing customer.

I had shopped around and found that my local phone company offered comparable DSL service for $35/month. But, I really didn’t want to change over to them if I didn’t have to.  I liked high speed internet through the cable company and had always heard that DSL wasn’t as good. But it appeared the only way I was going to be able to keep the high speed cable internet service was to pay $70 each month. But wait!  I found something called EarthLink internet. It’s kind of hard to explain EarthLink but basically they offer their internet service separately but they actually use TWC infrastructure and billing. The cost is approximately $40 per month for high speed internet and I just recently experienced a system wide upgrade which makes it an even better value.

HOME TV
This may have been the most difficult transition of them all. You see, I’ve had satellite or cable TV for as long as I can remember. I’ve also been spoiled with DVR’s which allow you to pause live TV and record your favorite TV shows. So, the idea of cutting the cord was very difficult at first. However, if I had any doubts about my decision, they quickly went away when I was turning in my cable boxes at the TWC store. One of their employees was playfully challenging me on my decision. He asked how are you going to watch TV now? How are you going to record your favorite shows?

Those are all good questions and I had an answer for each question. First, I had an over the air antenna. The OTA antenna looks like a mouse pad works pretty nice most of the time. Second, and this may have been the key factor in making the whole thing work for me… I had purchased a TiVo Roamio OTA DVR. This device is a DVR for over the air television. It also connects to your home network so you can link up with Netflix and Amazon video. This device has made cutting the cord much easier than I could have imagined.

So when you add it all up, my monthly costs were over $180 month for the three services; tv, internet, & phone. They are now approximately $50 per month. There is equipment that you need to purchase up front in order to take advantage of this.  The Ooma was $129, the TiVo was $400 (which includes lifetime product guide) and the antenna for the TV was around $25. It will take some homework on your part to figure out exactly what antenna you need (see antennaweb). Hope this helps you out.

NCI 7600 Series Shipping Scale Discontinued

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NCI 7600 series scales are being discontinued effective December 31, 2015. Central Carolina Scale and Avery Weigh-Tronix will continue to provide service spares (repair parts) as long as components are available, for up to five years. All new orders for the NCI 7600 scale(s) must be received no later than close of business on December 31, 2015.

Discontinued Part Numbers

Part number ….. Description
9503-15624 …….. 7620, 70 lb (RS-232 w/ stainless weight platter)
9503-15625 …….. 7620, 100 lb (RS-232 w/ stainless weight platter)
9503-16638 …….. 7620, 100 lb (RS-232 w/ Ball-Top)
9503-16568 …….  7620, 150 lb (RS-232 w/ stainless weight platter)
9503-17111 …….. 7620, 150 lb (RS-232 w/ Ball-Top)
9503-17178 …….. 7680, 150 lb (RS-232 w/ stainless weight platter)
9503-17179 …….. 7680, 150 lb with Ball-Top (13 roller balls)

Recommended Replacements
We recommended you look at the Avery Weigh-Tronix ZP900 Mailing and Parcel Shipping Scale

ZP900 postal scale from Avery Weigh-Tronix

Our selection of post, mail and shipping scales are highly accurate, developed in partnership with our customers and designed for use in a range of environments, from retail counters to back office systems. Most are highly connective, able to integrate into existing point of sale and data systems.

The scales can stand up to a busy day in the post office or company mail room, year after year, and still determine small differences in weight. The postal scale range features easy to use operator displays, for error free, fast customer service. Avery Weigh-Tronix boasts an extensive range of industrial products applicable to the postal logistics industry that can enhance productivity and optimize your shipping process.

Flexible Configuration
The ZP900 is available in a range of base sizes and configurable capacities to meet the needs of the postal industry. The modular design provides a range of solutions which are easy to service and maintain, while the range of customer and operator display options provides added flexibility.

Unrivaled Connectivity
A range of connectivity options, including serial, Ethernet and USB with UPOS and OPOS support, facilitate integration with third party software and hardware solutions.

For additional information about the ZP900, please refer to https://www.centralcarolinascale.com or call (919) 776-7737

Why Buy MSI Crane Scales?

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Measurement Systems International (MSI) is Rice Lake Weighing Systems premier brand of durable, safe and U.S.A. made high quality overhead weighing products. By manufacturing the best integrated system solutions for overhead weighing applications using the finest resources, MSI’s design engineered flexibility allows for a wide range of solutions for virtually any environment.

Durability
MSI products are made tough—delivering in-process weighing technology with products available for use in high-temperature, high-torque conditions.

Safety
Overhead weighing applications, remote locations and high-temperature environments require utmost attention to crane safety standards. MSI heat resistant crane scale product experts incorporate these standards into application solutions, assuring requirements are exceeded in hazardous overhead weighing environments.

Quality
Since 1977, MSI has pioneered the weighing industry with a comprehensive line of niche technologies including combining strain gauge and microprocessor technologies into self-contained portable weighing equipment. Above all else, MSI products are committed to innovation and meticulous care in design, offering superior solutions to even the most demanding applications.

Rice Lake’s MSI line of quality industrial electronic scales, tension dynamometers, load monitoring instrumentation, RF wireless data acquisition and signal processing systems are sold throughout the world in virtually every industry; including aerospace, agriculture, aluminum, forestry, marine, medical, mining, nuclear, petrochemical, transportation, utility, iron and steel.

Best of all, you can get your information and competitive price quotes from the sales team at Central Carolina Scale. Just call the number listed on the site or complete the Request a Quote form on the website.