Tag Archives: scale

New ZQ375 Light Stack Available from Avery Weigh-Tronix

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Avery Weigh-Tronix checkweighers feature stainless steel enclosures and are sealed up to IP69K, for washdown situations. These checkweighers are ideally suited for food and beverage applications, as well as pharmaceuticals, transportation and many others. With easy to use operator interfaces, users can clearly see the target level, speeding up operation without jeopardizing accuracy. These checkweighers offer multi-connectivity and can be can connected with existing data systems for automatic reporting.

Great News! Fully wash down compact light stack options ideal for the ZQ375 Checkweigher are now available!

That’s 3 extra light stack options that could be easily used on the current Avery Weigh-Tronix ZQ375 Checkweigher.

These new light stacks offer a more cost effective solution that can easy be installed to any new or existing ZM or ZQ375 Checkweigher indicator or indicator and base combination with no extra fabrication modifications required.

weigh-tronix checkweigh scale light stack

This new compact light stack easily mounts directly to the side of the indicator using the same side stud as uses to clamp the indicator to the column or stand with no extra fixings required. Ideal when the ZQ375 indicator needs to be mounted away from the weight platform.

These IP67 light stacks are available in 3 versions all with audible alarms
3 lights (red / green / yellow)
2 lights (red / Green)
1 light (red)

Avery Weigh-Tronix part numbers
AWT05-508943   IP67 side mounted compact (Red, Green, Yellow) light stack + audible alarm
AWT05-508944   IP67 side mounted compact (Red, Yellow) light stack + audible alarm
AWT05-508945   IP67 side mounted compact (Red) light stack + audible alarm

The Avery Weigh-Tronix ZQ375 series checkweighers are ideal heavy-washdown scales built to meet stringent food hygiene requirements. Certified by NSF to NSF/ANSI Standard 3-A, the ZQ375 Checkweigher has been specifically designed to meet the stringent hygiene requirements of the food processing industry. IP69K rated for heavy washdown environments.

The ZQ375 checkweigher features a highly visible, low power draw IBN display, which offers ease of viewing in all lighting conditions. Its large, nine segment digits and coloured multi-segmented under/overweight graph give the operator a fast visual indication of weight which is user friendly, yet highly accurate.

Plus with the optional light stack, scale operators can easily see when items are under weight, over weight or within tolerance.

This checkweigher is legal for trade, making it suitable for use in commercial applications where product is sold by weight. It is available in a range of sizes and capacities from 6lb to 500lbs (3kg to 200kg).

The ZQ375 Checkweigher provides you with the information you need through Wireless, USB or Ethernet to maximize performance and profitability.

Contact the sales team today at (919) 776-7737 or complete our online Request a Quote.

The Cambridge Model 770 Vehicle Scale is NOW NTEP APPROVED

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Sometimes you don’t really need a heavy duty 70′ long truck scale, but you do need a smaller scale to weigh small trucks or vans. Look at the features that make this light weight vehicle / airport scale the best value on the market today. The Cambridge Model 770 Series Light Vehicle / Airport Scales are available in a wide range of sizes and capacities in order to meet your specific requirements.

This versatile scale can weigh air cargo trams and containers and also light capacity vehicles. Best of all the scale now has NTEP approved sizes available.

What makes the 770 scale a good choice? See below.

cambridge 770 vehicle scale

The Model 770 will be delivered by LTL Common Carrier which eliminates the need for expensive flatbed carriers and special wide load permits. This alone can save a lot of money! The Model 770 can be unloaded and installed entirely with a standard forklift. No need for expensive cranes to be brought on site. Once again, this saves you even more money! The Model 770 vehicle scale can be installed on an existing concrete or blacktop surface. No need for expensive site preparation and concrete work. Once more you save huge amounts of money doing it this way.

The model 770 utilizes Cambridge Scale’s exclusive drop-in-place modules that come to the site pre-wired from the factory. No need to spend time pulling load cell cables and wiring them into a “J” box. This will save lots of labor. Installation is a snap in several hours even on uneven surfaces. Cambridge’s exclusive deck levelers eliminate the need for shimming and grouting.

The 770 vehicle scale is now available in NTEP sizes up to 10’ x 24’ with a 60,000 pound capacity.

Depending on your particular application, this vehicle scale could be a really good choice for your weighing needs. Contact our sales team (919) 776-7737 to discuss the application or complete our online Request for Quote.

Doran Scales Updates 7000XLM Digital Weight Indicator

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Doran has been manufacturing digital scales for forty years. This milestone was a great reason for them to take a look at their indicator lineup and make some adjustments. One of the biggest changes is a focus on Made in the USA quality. They have actually been able to source many more of their components from USA sources. In fact, according to Doran, if you buy a 7000XL with a 10″x10″ base and column, all products in that build were sourced from USA vendors. That’s pretty impressive in today’s competitive environment.

doran scales built in America

Another change that Doran has made is to replace the 8000XL bench scale and digital weight indicator. Actually, this is not a surprise since the only real difference between the 7000XL and the 8000XL was a battery. So if you were a fan of the 8000XL scale or the 8000XLM digital indicator, then all you need to do is order a 7000XL with optional battery.

Doran challenged the design team to update the indicator line. Doran’s engineers have been working overtime to update our indicator line starting with the 7000XL and 8000XL. Not only that, the purchasing department found ways to bring many items back to the USA. Doran is proud to announce that they will be building many of their products in their plant in Batavia, IL again. They are sourcing metal including indicators, columns and most platforms from superior stainless steel producers in the USA. Touchpanels and boards also come from USA sources.

When you buy a 7000XL with a 10×10 base and column, know that all components were sourced from USA vendors. As they transition products back to the USA, Doran will be labeling products that are built in the US factory and USA sourced components with Built in America label that you see in this blog post. Along with USA manufacture, Doran has made some additional improvements as well. They are excited to introduce improvements like the 7000XL display, which is now 0.8” tall and expanded options. The factory now supports 34 options for the 7000XL weight indicator.

It’s no mystery why so many people turn to the Doran 7000XL for their weighing applications. From capturing plant floor data to a simple dough scale on a baker’s bench, the 7000XL is adaptable to fit your specific needs. Engineered to stand up to the harshest environment, the sealed, heavy duty “Guardian” touch panel resists moisture and puncture damage. The big, bright red LED display is easy to read. IP69K rated Washdown safe, stainless steel is a hallmark of Doran Scales. The heavy gauge 304 stainless steel construction and the gasketed enclosure ensure that the 7000XL will provide many years of trouble-free service.

Choose from a variety of Doran 7000XL models that include columns and attachment brackets to place the weight indicator at an ideal height for your weighing application. Need battery power? Just add option EXOPT308 and you have what used to be called the “8000XL” indicator.

Doran 7000XL Indicator Features

• Built in America
• Variety of data communication options including, wired Ethernet, WiFi, USB, Bluetooth or 4-20mA
• Optional internal rechargeable battery providing up to 60 hours of continuous use
• 304 stainless steel construction
• IP69K washdown protection
• Bright red, 0.8” tall 6 digit LED display
• Heavy duty touch panel with ZERO, UNITS, and PRINT controls
• Units of measure: lb, kg, oz, g, or lb:oz
• Legal for trade in US and Canada
• Dimension configuration software
• Programmable custom data strings

doran 7000xlm weight meter

A couple of additional notes to consider about the Doran product line. The 7000XL display is now 0.8″ tall and the indicator now has thirty four options available. One thing that hasn’t changed is the washdown quality and stainless steel construction. So, if you need a scale for food processing environments with grease and debris clean up is needed, this is your scale. The 7000XL is ideal for washdown situations in food processing plants, dairies, packing houses, bottling plants, breweries, canneries, creameries and much more.

So when it comes to stainless steel washdown bench scales, we usually recommend Doran Scales. In fact, we have received “Top Doran Scales Dealer” awards in the past. Contact our sales team (919) 776-7737 for additional information and price quotes.

Scale Calibration Frequency: How Often Should I Calibrate my Digital Scale?

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We’ve actually covered the subject of how often to calibrate a scale before but it’s always a good idea to remind customers just how important the accuracy of their scales can be. We get this question fairly often so today with the help of Doran Scales we’ll take another look at why it’s important to have your scales calibrated on a regular basis by a trained scale technician.

What is the value of the product to be weighed on the scale?
If the product being weighed is very expensive, there is value in regular and periodic inspection and calibration. For example if the product costs $10 a pound and on an average day 1,000 pounds of product is weighed on the scale, the total value is $10,000. Let’s assume the scale is out of tolerance by 0.5%; that discrepancy would be $50 per day, $250 per week, and $1,000 per month. Obviously, eliminating this error would save a tremendous amount of money and more than pay for the calibration services.

Is it a legal-for-trade application?
If you buy or sell product based upon weight using your scale, it will need to be inspected and certified by the State or local Weights and Measures Department at the time of or shortly after installation. If a scale is tested and found to be out of tolerance or if products in the field are found to not meet the stated weight, Weights and Measure can condemn the scales so that they cannot be used until recalibrated, and literally shut your production down.

How many weighments per day and at what % of scale capacity?
Generally speaking, with time and use scales can start to lose accuracy. It may be a tiny error but over months and years it can grow to unacceptable levels. Think of it in these terms: when you buy a new car, you can expect that the wheel alignment will be exactly accurate. When this same car has 75,000 or 100,000 miles on it, the wheel alignment may need to be adjusted due to normal wear and tear. The same idea is true with your scale. Regular calibration of heavily used scales will correct any accuracy errors that will normally occur with this type of use.

Are the scales frequently moved around in your facility or from one location to another?
Doran scales are designed to be portable, in the sense that they do not require a permanent installation location. However, many times when scales are moved, they are handled incorrectly, resulting in damage that can affect the calibration and accuracy of the unit. If your scales are constantly being moved around in your facility or moved from one location to another, regular calibration will help keep them accurate and reveal any damage that may have occurred when they have been moved.

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Professional Scale for Fishing Tournament Weigh-In’s

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We have been actively providing digital scales for fishing tournaments and clubs for over a decade. During this time period, we’ve learned a few things about this segment of our customer base regarding price and quality. It is imperative that you don’t just settle when it comes to scales. After all, the weigh-in portion of your fishing tournament is kind of important don’t you think?  The good news is there are some pretty good digital scales available that don’t cost a fortune. Let’s take a look at one below.

weigh master digital fishing tournament weigh-in scale

The Weigh Master is a very nice scale system that we feel will work quite well for most clubs. The standard size of the weighing platform is 12″ x 14″ and the capacity of the scale is 60 x 0.01 lbs. The column that connects the digital indicator to the weighing platform comes standard but you can choose to not use it if you wish. The LCD digital display is easy to read and the indicator has several weight lock functions that you can fine tune to perfection. The scale is powered by standard 110 VAC power or an internal rechargeable battery. The RS232 serial port is ideal for connecting the scale to a remote display or printer. Overall, we think this is a nice choice for many clubs who aren’t able to spend pro tournament kind of money but want a good reliable system for their club or tourney.

In our review of the Weigh Master, the biggest drawback of the scale is that it doesn’t display weight in ounces. So, if you must use ounces you might want to consider the Doran 7000XL or 8000XL which are great Stainless Steel Wash Down scales.

Overall, we recommend the Weighmaster scale if you’re looking for a quality scale that is accurate, affordable and built to last. Please contact us 919-776-7737 or visit our contact page and fill out the request for quote.

Restaurant Owners: Portion Control Is Very Important To Keeping Your Ingredient Costs Under Control

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If you are in the restaurant business then you understand how much your ingredients like cheese really cost, since you purchase them from your suppliers on a regular basis. Think about this for a second… Let’s say you’re making your best selling pizza or your most popular sandwich. What if you could cut back on your most expensive ingredient by just a smidgen. Actually, a better way to say it would be — what if you could develop a consistent way to add your ingredients so that every large pizza had exactly eight ounces of cheese or six ounces of pepperoni. The results would hopefully lead to more profitability and a consistent product your patrons could enjoy each and every visit.

This outstanding must read article that is referenced below goes into great detail about portion control and why it’s so important to a company’s bottom line.

“You can have the best pizza in the world. But you can lose your shirt if you’re not careful,” he said. “If you ain’t weighing it, you are winging it.” While many operators habitually weigh dough balls, nothing provides a pizza operator with more margin/cost control than weighing their cheese portions.

…. it’s important to keep cheat sheets for employees to remind them how much cheese to use, and even have the cheese pre-weighed in cups for them. This allows an operator to ensure consistency and to know the cost of every single pizza. The difference, for example, of 7 ounces and 10 ounces of cheese can be 60 cents per pizza. He also suggested adding a weighing scale that is easy for employees to use. Training and incentivizing is important for employees, who may free throw either through habit or to save time.

…. At the end of those 30 days, the concept saved about 200 pounds of cheese totaling $1,200, which was then split between the four employees as a bonus.

I like how the author wrote this article since it’s always great to see real world examples. As you can see from reading the entire article, your business can really benefit by adding some type of weighing functionality into your kitchen. Not only does this help control costs but it should also help restuarants increase their consistency. How many times have you gone to a restaurant and had one pizza with too much cheese or too little sauce, then you go back a couple weeks later and it’s the opposite problem. Customers love a consistent sandwhich or entrée (just ask my in-laws).

If you need some guidance on choosing the correct scale for your restaurant or prep kitchen please contact our sales department at 919 776-7737 or visit our site centralcarolinascale.com which has many scales posted for you to view. We also have a Youtube channel that shows a few of our scales in video format.

Body fat analysis scales provide many vital features to proper weight management and healthier body

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Healthcare professionals across the world use Detecto’s body fat analysis scales to measure their patients’ nutritional health. These reliable, digital doctor scales measure body fat, bone mass, muscle mass, and and body water percentages. They also calculate a Body Mass Index (BMI) measurement. Choose “Normal” mode or “Athlete” mode to ensure reliable weighing and analysis for all patients. Select body fat scale models also include a digital or mechanical height rod. Optional stainless steel wall-mount grab bars are available for patients who need additional support.

DETECTO’s ProDoc PD350 series body fat analysis scales host many powerful features that are vital to proper weight management and crafting a healthier body.

DETECTO’s PD350 series offers medical-grade accuracy and durability built for long life spans in high-traffic fitness centers, corporate or hotel gyms, nutritionist’s offices, and clinical facilities. The PD350 series is available with digital or mechanical height rods and an optional P50 thermal tape printer.

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Why should I buy a scale that is “Legal-for-Trade” when I don’t intend to use it in a Commercial Weighing application?

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There are a number of questions we get from time to time regarding legal for trade scales. Often, especially with floor scales we are asked “why should I buy a scale that is “Legal-for-Trade” when I don’t intend to use it in a commercial weighing setting”?

Defining a commercial weighing application can sometimes be a little tricky. Scales can be moved around and get used for things that maybe you didn’t originally intend.

Basically, an NTEP approved device is required any time money changes hands based on a scale’s reading. We sometimes call this legal for trade scales or we might call it NTEP certified equipment.

Freight scales, for example, must be NTEP approved. For these situations government requires that a scale must pass tests put forth by the National Type Evaluation Program (NTEP). These regulations are meant to protect the consumer.

But if I were in the market for a scale, in most cases, I would want to choose a scale that was at least capable of passing NTEP testing and receiving an NTEP certificate.

If you think about it, we use a scale because we want to know an exact weight (as accurately as possible) and have trust in the information we view on the scale display.

NTEP approved floor scale

When selecting a scale to weigh your produce, or packages, would you choose one that’s been tested and approved by an independent third party as accurate, or would you rather have a scale that’s never been tested at all by an independent group?

NTEP Certified Commercial Scale

In most cases I would choose the scale that has been tested and received a conformance certificate.

Sure there are some markets and applications where NTEP certified scales are not really necessary. But when you’re comparing a legal for trade scale side by side with one that is non-ntep, ask yourself or your scale sales person a question. Could this non-ntep scale have earned a NTEP certificate of conformance?

If the answer is yes you may be ok with purchasing a non-ntep scale. The non ntep scale probably costs less, but is the scale accurate and stable as well?  How will you know for sure the scale is accurate? And if you need to replace it sooner than expected, how much money did you ultimately really save buying a non legal for trade scale?

If the sales person says no, the scale probably would not be capable of earning a certificate of conformance, that would cause me re-evaluate the product and my products that I’m looking to purchase.

Ultimately, it’s up to you the end user to decide what direction you want to to.

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Digital Weight Indicator For Scales With USB Port and Micro SD Card?

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Happy New Year!  It’s our goal to provide great service to you again this year and to bring you some really nice products that make your job easier. Cardinal Scale Manufacturing in Webb City Missouri has a digital weight indicator product line that is very popular with our customers. Cardinal’s weight indicators provide easy, convenient scale operation and accurate, reliable measurements. From basic truck scale weighing to complex process automation, Cardinal Scale probably makes a weight indicator for your application. Whether operators need an easy-to-maintain wash-down indicator or an indicator that provides highly visible scale readouts, a Cardinal indicator from Central Carolina Scale usually has an option available to suit a wide range of weighing needs.

collect scale weights on usb thumb drive

The latest announcement from Cardinal Scale is very exciting for those of us in the weighing industry. Over the years customers have always asked us “can I send weight data to my pc” or “we need to send scale data to the computer”. And the answer that we usually told customers was well, yes you can…… but it might require some additional software or yes… but it might require some other type of hurdle or challenge. Over the years it has gotten easier but depending on the product and what you are trying to connect to, it could be a real challenge to send weight data reliably and consistently to a computer. But, now with the new Cardinal 2XX-USBA option board which is listed as USB-A Card, 2 USB-A Ports, One Micro SD Port – you have the ability to add a USB flash drive to a select group of Cardinal indicators like the 205, 210 and 225 and easily collect weighing data. For example, with one 4GB flash drive, you could literally collect millions of weight transactions. Then once you’re ready to view the transactions, you remove the flash drive and take a look at the CSV file on your computer. It’s easy to add titles to the columns and sum the weight column to determine the total amount of weight that you’ve weighed over a period of time. Continue reading →

Digital Scale With Email Alerts

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Cardinal Scale leads the weighing industry with their digital weight indicator product line. Cardinal’s weight indicators provide easy, convenient scale operation and accurate, reliable measurements. From basic truck scale weighing to complex process automation, Cardinal Scale has a weight indicator for your application.

Cardinal Scale’s 825 Spectrum weight indicator can send automatic e-mail alerts through an Ethernet connection to the client’s internal SMTP e-mail server for submission to up to three recipients per scale. The 825 features up to 10 scale inputs per indicator by installing additional option cards to the multiple slots available, and each of the scales connected has completely-individual configuration for the e-mail alerts.

Originally programmed for a company to use with a series of tank scales, this 825 custom application allows users to receive instant notification on stocking levels, such as when it’s time to order refills.

Cardinal Scale 825 Spectrum Digital IndicatorEasy set-up for this application is enabled through the 825’s touchscreen LCD and QWERTY keyboard where users may assign the e-mail address the alerts are sent from, which also acts as a return address (any address may be configured). There are four preset weights available per scale for user-definable targets such as Over, Accept, Under (Reorder), and Extremely Low, which may be labeled whatever the user chooses. Continue reading →