Various Kinds Of Weighing Scales And Manufacturers
The
weighing scale is one of the oldest tools devised by mankind. It has
a wide variety of applications, ranging from weighing fruits to heavy
trucks. This article tries to delve a little deeper into the weighing
scale and will look at how the scale and with it, the weighing scale
manufacturers have evolved over time.
Weighing
scale through the ages
The
weighing scale’s first usage dates back to 1800 B.C. in the
Indus valley. Cuboidal stones of different shapes and sizes were used
as weighing stones. Weighing scale has since then, evolved from the
candle stick scales, beam scales, stick scales and finally the modern
day electronic scales. The contributions by the great inventor,
Leonardo Da Vinci, have been immense.
The
industry today, as we see it
The
industry of the Digital weighing scale manufacturers is categorized according
to the different principles of weighing. Thus, the market has two
different sets of weighing scale manufacturers. The ones based on
Mechanical Scales and the other, on Electronic Scales.
Types
of mechanical scales
The
mechanical scale manufacturers serve clients from household customers
to commercial vehicle operators. There are three different varieties
of these scales:
Spring Scale:
The tension force acting on the object is then measured by the scale
to give accurate readings. These scales have two sources of error
that the manufacturers have to watch out for. Change in spring’s
length due to temperature differences and the difference in
measurement by as much as 0.5% due to the gravitational pull, are the
two sources of error that the manufacturers have to watch out
for.
Pendulum balance scales:
These scales do not make use of springs
The dual advantage of these scales are their ease of use and error
free application.
Hydraulic or pneumatic scale: The manufacturers produce these scales on special orders from transportation companies and vendors. The main application of these scales is to lift heavy weights and in cranes with hydraulics.
Types
of electronic scales
These
scales are more popular amongst household customers and find more
takers with the manufacturers. Although the profit margins on these
scales are low, the manufacturers recuperate the margins through the
sales volumes. The different varieties of these scales
are:
Microbalance:
Weights as small as a million part of a gram can be measured by a
microbalance. They find application in pharmaceutical companies and
research labs.
Analytical
Balance: They are known for their
accuracy and precision of measurement and should only be mounted on
flat surfaces free of any vibrations. To cater to small errors,
manufacturers provide a built in calibration
tool.
Supermarket/retail scale:
Supermarket scales can weigh various
items such as seafood, meat and vegetables etc.. Retail chains like
Wal-Mart make year-long contracts with the weighing scale
manufacturers. From printing labels to tagging RFIDs, these scales
can do it all.
Thus over the years, the weighing scale
manufacturers have evolved a lot and now produce simple yet accurate
weighing scales.
Before you actually buy the weighing scale
look out for their online reputation by checking the testimonials.
You can even ask for the price quotes online and make your decision
without much of troubles.