Industrial floor scales are industrial weighing scales with high weight capacities (eg. 5,000 lb or higher). The best ones are highly accurate and user-friendly to ensure that a company's operations are smooth and customers are kept happy.

Industrial Floor Scales - The Main Uses

Industrial floor scales are used in a wide variety of industries, indoor and outdoor settings and in a variety of environmental temperatures and conditions. Applications include warehouse shipping and receiving, pallet weighing, container weighing, drum weighing and so forth. They are in industries like manufacturing, shipping, construction, engineering, aerospace, pharmaceutical, waste management and many other industries as well.

Industrial floor scales are called by lots of other names such as industrial platform scales, commercial floor scales, pallet floor scales. Pallet truck scales are a special type of industrial scale that combines a floor scale with a pallet truck.

While the uses for commercial floor scales vary, basic requirements like high accuracy, ample capacity and type/size of platform, or having solid construction are common to any businessperson looking for a great floor scale. Let's take a look at some of the best main features and benefits required, as well as other specific needs that one may need to pay attention to.

Industrial Floor Scales - The Main Features To Consider

Capacity - Some of the most common capacities of industrial floor scales are 800lb, 1,000 lb, 5,000 lb and 10,000 lb, with the larger axle platform scales that are meant for large objects like vehicles going as high as 20,000 lb to 60,000 lb. When purchasing the ideal floor scale for your needs, reflect and think about your business and growth near to medium term expectations to determine the best weight range for what needs to be weighed.

The other thing to be aware of is the graduations of weight being displayed on the digital indicator. Even though industrial floor scales weigh up to high capacities, they can also provide weights in very granular levels, such as 0.2 lb, 0.5 lb or 1 lb. You will also need to determine the measured graduations for the weights needed. That could be something that is determined by the industry you are in, or by the needs of your customers.

Size and shape of the scale platform: The size and shape of the industrial floor scale platform is another matter for consideration. Here are some common examples of shapes and sizes (in feet):
Square 3' x 3', 4' x 4' (recommended for a pallet scale)
Rectangular 4' x 5', 4' x 6'
Large sized/ axle platforms (with ramps) 10' x 10', 10' x 14'

Beside regular square or rectangular shaped scale platforms, there are also different types of floor scales that come in a variety of shapes and size. These include floor platforms with ramps for vehicle and truck weighing, pallet jack and forklift scales, livestock weighing scales and so on. Industrial floor scales are low profile (low height) by their nature, but if you have specific scale platform height requirements, make sure to examine the height measurements and if need be, choose extra low profile floor scales.

Calibration for accuracy - Before a new industrial floor scale is sold, it is usually calibrated so that the scale will indicate a true zero-weight (similar to how you set the needle to show zero when there is no weight on it on a bathroom scale) and will weigh accurately within their given capacities. Remember, industrial scales are just like any machine and need their tune ups every now and then ie. they need to be recalibrated periodically. Industrial platform scale calibration can be done through professional scale calibration companies.

How often should a recalibration be done? A lot of companies have established time frames for calibrations to meet ISO requirements. Where there is no established industry guidelines, every 6 months to a year is recommended. When the risks of mis-weighing are high, some companies take extra steps to test their scales out everyday with heavy weights.

Durability and construction, Nema 4X rating - The industrial scale should be constructed for heavy duty use. Some are made of heavy duty stainless steel or cast aluminium. The paint finish on the scale should be durable as well.

Industrial floor scales that can operated well in tough conditions can qualify for a Nema 4X (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) rating. A Nema 4x rating means that the scale is rust-proof and splash-proof and able to withstand some conditions of rain, snow, sleet and dirt. Nema 4X ratings exist for both indoor and outdoor scales, so be sure to verify that the scale you need is qualified for where you intend to use it.

Watertight load cells: If you intend to use the scale where there lots of chances of exposure to water, eg. rain and wet loads, make sure the load cells in the scale are watertight, so that your scale will continue to weigh accurately even in wet environments.

NTEP Certified or "Legal For Trade" Scale Models - NTEP (National Type Evaluation Program) certified scales have passed the stringent criteria on scale performance and features as established by the National Conference On Weights And Measures. An NTEP certified model is also called a Legal for Trade scale. Scales that are certified are usually listed as "NTEP Approved, Legal for Trade."

When the weights measured are being used in commercial transactions, an NTEP certified scale is usually needed. At the time of this writing, Texas, Vermont, Rhode Island and North Dakota do not have this requirement.

Most scale models are sold as NTEP certified, and some manufacturers offer the same model with and without NTEP certification. The price difference can be as little as just 5% more with certification.

Digital weight indicator - Another important part of any industrial floor scale or pallet scale is the digital indicator that shows the weight of the load. Make sure that it is of a good size and includes lighting for easy readability. Standard digital indicators come with RS232 for easy connection to a printer. Basic digital indicators are made of good quality plastic and higher quality ones are made of stainless steel.

Industrial Floor Scales - Purchase Tips

By now, you should have gotten a few basic ideas on what are the most features for the ideal industrial floor scale to meet your work needs. Keep them in mind as you research through a few more articles and product descriptions to find the best match for your needs.

It's a good idea to keep a list of the requirements your have for that ideal industrial floor scale or any other industrial weighing scale in view as you check out additional websites and add your comments to notes. Nowadays, a lot of industrial scale retailers publish good technical details of the scales, pricing, warranties and shipping policies. It's not just for brand new scales either, as more and more listings used industrial floor scales are being posted online these days. It's a good idea to comparision shop online, and find a few vendors and industrial scale models that match your requirements before you decide.

Tags: industrial floor scales, industrial weighing scales, commercial floor scales, pallet floor scales