Scales are used in nearly every walk of life
How many times have you used scales since you woke up this morning? Perhaps first thing to check how the beach body is coming along, once to measure out your morning coffee and even to measure the amount of protein you want to put in the morning shake. Everything needs weighed at some point.
There are many traditional uses of weighing that we cover regularly here on the blog. Just a few examples include in the kitchen, medication, recreation, outdoor pursuits such as fishing or shooting, and even luggage.
However, have you considered how many other things get weighed commercially? Pretty much every business has to weigh something as part of its work.
The pharmaceutical industry relies on precision scales to prepare ingredients for its products. In the travel industry, it is essential that cargo is weighed accurately in order to meet pre-set formulas that calculate the correct weight for flying.
When developing new technology, a manufacturer will also want to accurately weigh components so that it can work out the overall weight and feel of the product - no consumer wants to buy a ten-ton mobile phone after all!
Businesses also use scales both for inventory control and postage, again to keep a close eye on costs and profitability.
Weighing for health: This covers people and animals. We read a heart-warming story recently about the world’s lightest baby who was born weighing only as much as an apple. He has now been discharged from the neonatal unit after 7 months, where he would have been weighed regularly to ensure that he was growing steadily.
On the more unusual end of the spectrum, there is the story of the world’s heaviest cat. Barsik weighed 41 pounds and was left at a cat shelter in New York. Both he and his food were weighed and measured daily to ensure that his portions were controlled and that he lose weight at an appropriate speed.
What are the common elements that every scale requires?
Size & capacity – Depending on what needs to be weighed, a scale needs to have the spacial capacity to accommodate the item placed on the weighing tray. It also needs to have the weight capacity should the item in question be heavy, like Barsik.
Accuracy & precision – Users need to be able to trust in the knowledge that the reading is accurate. In some cases, they will weigh an item multiple times and then take an average, but the starting point is ensuring that the scale has been calibrated. All our scales come from the factory calibrated. For digital scales, you have to use accurate calibration weights. Note that calibration and adjustment of your scale is permanent, so make sure you are using the correct mass listed in your user manual.
For our recommendations of what to look for when choosing digital scale, be sure to read our blog post: Top 3 things to look for when purchasing a digital scale.
We have been making and selling digital scales for over 30 years. Truweigh specializes in accurately measuring smaller quantities. Our largest scale, the General, weighs up to 8,000g, while milligram scales like the Echo or the Sharpshooter Reloadr can measure much smaller amounts to 0.001g accuracy.