If you use an industrial floor scale, counting scale or any other weigh scale for your business, you need to make sure it’s regularly calibrated for accurate measurements.
Unfortunately, even the highest quality weigh scale will not be accurate forever.
Normal wear and tear will occur over time leading to a decrease in the accuracy of the scale. The scale accuracy can degrade even quickly if the weigh scale is exposed to electric or mechanical shock or if it’s present in a manufacturing environment with moisture, oils, metal chips, etc.
What is scale calibration?
Scale calibration is the process of testing the scale, to ensure the level of accuracy you require for day-to-day tasks in your business.
In a truck scale business, where accurate results are dependent upon weight, accurate scale calibration is of utter importance.
An inaccurate scale will give you inaccurate value. This can significantly hurt your business due to overweight trucks on the road. The consequences for overweight trucks can lead to several fines towards your business, if found guilty.
In processing and manufacturing businesses, incorrect measurements could result in product quality issues, scrapped batches, or even a product recall.
How Does Scale Calibration Work?
For scale calibration, a known standard or certified object/mass is placed on your scale. The weight reading of that object/mass is recorded.
If the weight readings match the standards or fall within the calibration tolerance, the scale does not need any further adjustment. Whereas, if the weight readings do not match or fall within the calibration tolerance, calibration service will likely be needed to restore the scale to an acceptable state of accuracy.
Why is Scale Calibration Important?
Weighing scale calibration is essential to achieve accurate weighing results. Ignoring this important service activity turns measuring into guesswork. In simple words, it is negligent to weigh anything with a non-calibrated weigh scale, which can even lead to a fine towards your business or truckers.
Make sure that you periodically schedule weigh scale calibration in combination with frequent routine testing that will greatly enhance the lifetime of your scale and its weighing accuracy.
The main goal of scale calibration is to minimize any measurement uncertainty by ensuring the accuracy of the scale. Calibration quantifies and controls errors within measurement processes to an acceptable level.
How Often Should You Calibrate Your Scales?
How often you need to calibrate your scales depends on a few different factors:
- Manufacturer’s recommendations that come with the scale
- How often you use the weigh scale
- The environment they are being used in
- How essential an accurate weight is to your business
Some weigh scales are calibrated once per month, others are only calibrated once per year, while some are even spot-checked daily for accuracy.
When it comes to calibrating a scale, always consult the scale manufacturer’s recommendations first.
Weigh scale manufacturers like Active Scale will provide you with a recommendation for the frequency of calibration. Since all weigh scales are made differently, it’s usually safe to assume the manufacturer knows best.
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If you are looking for weigh scale calibration services, then contact Active Scale, your local and Canada’s largest weighing scale manufacturer. Our qualified weigh scale technicians are capable of servicing virtually any weigh scale system in use.
