Which industrial scale suits your application?
There is no best industrial scale; there is a best scale for your workplace. A pallet at goods inwards calls for something different from a tub of spices on the line or a crate of fish in the cold store. On this page we go through the workplaces we come across most often; for each one we show which category fits, what to look out for and where to find it in our range. The five general questions behind every choice are under which scale do I need, and the technology behind them under properties and functions of industrial scales.
Four things determine the choice
Whatever the workplace, the choice comes down to four questions that you ask in this order.
- Sector and use. Do you weigh for your own process, or does the weight determine what a customer pays? In the latter case the scale must be verified (legal for trade) and carry the green M mark.
- Capacity and readability. The heaviest load that goes on it, including pallet or container, and the smallest difference you still want to see. The two pull against each other: the higher the range, the coarser the step.
- Environment. Dry and indoors, or wet, cold, dusty or outdoors. That determines material, IP rating and power supply.
- Functions. Tare, counting, checkweighing, totalising, a printer or an integration with your administration system.
Below, those four questions are answered for each workplace.
In the warehouse: goods inwards, stock and dispatch
At goods inwards you check whether the pallet matches the delivery note; at dispatch the weight determines the freight cost. For pallets choose a floor scale with a ramp or a U-shaped pallet scale that you drive into with the pallet truck. If there is no fixed spot, a pallet truck scale weighs on the move. Which of the two suits your floor is explained under pallet scale or floor scale.
For parcels and boxes a bench scale up to 30 or 60 kg on the packing table is sufficient. For counting small parts during stocktaking or order picking, choose a counting scale: put ten pieces on it and it counts the rest. If you want the weight to go straight into your warehouse system, choose an indicator with USB or Ethernet and take a look at weighing software. Everything for this workplace is under scales for warehouse and logistics.
On the production line: dosing, checking and recording
In production you weigh to dose, to check and to record. For weighing out raw materials to a recipe, choose a bench or floor scale with an indicator that supports formulation and totalising. For checking filled packages choose a checkweighing scale: you set a lower and upper limit and the display turns green or red, or you let an automatic checkweigher in the line do the work.
If the scale needs to control something, such as a valve, a lamp or a conveyor belt, look for a relay output on the weighing indicator; how that works for filling is explained in filling and dosing by weight. In a potentially explosive atmosphere an ATEX version is required. For your own construction, a mixing tank or a silo, you build with separate load cells and an indicator. The overview for this workplace is under scales for production.
Food processing and cold store: wet, cold and hosed down
Here the environment is in charge. Choose a platform, and preferably also a frame and indicator, in stainless steel, and an IP rating that suits how cleaning is done: IP65 for a wet floor and a cloth, IP67 or IP68 for immersion, IP69K for the high-pressure cleaner. In a cold store, look for a battery that can cope with the cold and a display that stays readable at low temperatures. The models made entirely of stainless steel are under stainless steel bench scales, and the floor scales rated IP65 or higher under IP65 floor scales.
If you put the weight on a prepackage, the scale must be verified; with a label printing scale the label with weight, price and best-before date comes straight out of the printer. All models that can carry the M mark are under verified scales; we supply scales verified from the factory, and the initial verification is carried out by the manufacturer.
Selling by weight: shop, wholesale and waste streams
As soon as a customer pays by weight, or you invoice by weight, a verified, legal-for-trade scale is required. At the counter that means a retail scale with price computing and receipt, for wholesale a verified bench or floor scale, and for scrap, waste or bulk an axle weigher or weighbridge for the whole vehicle. What exactly a verified scale is and what the M mark means is explained under what is a verified scale.
Outdoors, on wheels and on the hook
Without a mains socket choose a battery version; without a fixed spot a pallet truck scale or a mobile floor scale. If the load hangs from a hoist or crane, a crane or hanging scale is the only practical choice; choose one with a hold function, so that the weight stays on the display when the load moves again. For livestock and animals choose an animal scale with dynamic weighing, which takes an average over a moving animal. More for the farmyard and the barn is under scales for agriculture.
Laboratory and quality control
Here it is not about kilograms but about grams and milligrams. A laboratory balance weighs to a milligram or finer in a quiet room; which one you need depends on the smallest difference you want to see, see precision balance or analytical balance. For a quality system, ask for a calibration certificate with it, and check it in between with check weights of a suitable OIML class.
Factor in the service
An industrial scale lasts for years, provided it is kept clean and level and checked regularly. When you buy it, plan straight away how you will arrange this: a check weight at the workplace, a calibration at a fixed interval, and for a verified scale the periodic re-verification, which is arranged through the manufacturer. We calibrate and repair in-house, on site or in our workshop. How often this is needed is explained under how often should a scale be calibrated; what we do is described under verification and calibration.
At a glance
| Workplace | Category | What to look out for |
|---|---|---|
| Receiving and dispatching pallets | floor scale, pallet scale | ramp or U-shape, range up to several tonnes, dual range |
| Packing table | bench scale | 30 or 60 kg, integration with shipping software |
| Stock and order picking | counting scale | fine readability for small parts |
| Production line | checkweighing scale, indicator | limit values, relay output, formulation |
| Food and cold store | stainless steel bench scale, IP65 floor scale | stainless steel, IP68 or IP69K, verified for prepackages |
| Selling by weight | retail scale, verified scale | M mark, price computing, periodic re-verification |
| Outdoors and on the hook | crane scale, pallet truck scale | battery, hold function, IP rating |
| Laboratory | laboratory balance | readability in mg, calibration certificate |
If your workplace is not listed, or you are torn between two rows: give us a call. You will speak to someone who works with this equipment every day and who has seen your situation before.
Frequently asked questions
Which scale is best for a warehouse?
For pallets a floor scale with a ramp or a U-shaped pallet scale; for parcels a bench scale on the packing table; for small parts a counting scale. If the weight determines the freight cost or an invoice, choose the verified version.
Can one scale handle both goods inwards and dispatch?
Yes, if both take place in the same spot and the range fits. A dual-range floor scale weighs a single parcel in 200 g steps and a full pallet in 500 g steps. If goods inwards and dispatch are far apart, a pallet truck scale is often more practical than two fixed scales.
Does a floor scale have to be built into the floor?
Only if you want to drive over it at floor level, for example with a forklift or a roll cage. For a pallet truck a low-profile floor scale with a ramp is sufficient; it can be moved and requires no breaking up of the floor.
Which scale is suitable for the food industry?
A stainless steel scale with an IP rating that suits the cleaning: IP65 for a wet floor, IP68 or IP69K for the high-pressure cleaner. If the weight goes on a prepackage or a price label, it must be verified.