How does a bakery produce even quality buns for their fast-food customer? How does a manufacturing plant of portable modular exhibit displays assure that each container has all the parts needed in every box? How does your pediatrician determine your baby’s growth? All these can be measured by one diverse piece of equipment called a counting scale. Counting scales are used in all aspects of everyday life from a visit to the doctor’s office to the stop at the grocery store to a stop at the Post Office to send a package to your mother. 

A manufacturer who needs a consistent count per carton can use a counting scale to avoid tedious hand counting (which is also prone to human error). A counting scale can saves the manufacturer time and money. Items, whether as small as .1 mg to as large as a total of 10,000 pounds, can be measured as needed. If not for this ability, commerce would still be based on the barter system and medicine and medical treatment would be fraught with difficulties.

When deciding to purchase a counting scale, it is important to consider how it will be used in the manufacturing process. You will have to decide if you want a digital counting scale or not. Some scales will do only gross weights; some will also handle over/under features, some print labels or even bar codes that can aid inventory management. There is a coin counting scale that has a preset for each type of coin and will save you a lot of time. If you are planning to incorporate your scale system with your software, you will want to verify the output of the scale and that you have a slot on your computer. Some will have USB connections but most scales use the RS232 Serial Output. And you will also wish to determine if a remote display is available or useful. These LCD readouts can be mounted almost anywhere it is convenient for your process, a wall or under a counter as needed. It is also is important to determine what your needs are and then plan to purchase a scale at a higher capacity. If your current average shipping container is 30 pounds, you cannot rule out shipping a 50 pound box next month. Some scales can perform complex functions such as determining BMI (Body Mass Index) on a bariatric scale or determining the price of a pound of salami. If a scale meets all your demands but seems just out of reach financially, it is better to wait that extra month or two so as to purchase the correct model 

The varieties of counting scales are large and varied. Some, but not all categories are: Baby Scales, Bariatric Scales, Bench Scales, Lab Scale, Medical Scales, Food Scales and Postal Scales. It is essential to determine if your scale needs to be a Legal for Trade scale. Such a scale needs to be certified by the NTEP, National Type Evaluation Program, a collaborative organization comprised of the National Conference of Weights and Measures, The National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Government. Almost all business that sells product by weight need to have NTEP certified scales; this would include everything from delis to shipping companies (which include freight liners). 

Where to Purchase a Counting Scale

It is vital to purchase a counting scale from a reputable dealer/manufacturer. If a scale seems to be substantially lower in price than the average cost comparable models, being sold by an unknown company, it is essential to compare the costs on an “apple-to-apple” basis. Check on the availability of technical support, if there is a warranty, and replacement policy. Investigate the length of the warranty. These are critical factors to consider regarding your purchase. Speak with the company in person, over the phone or via email. Companies without readily accessible customer service or you have trouble contacting a company during normal business hours, may not a legitimate organization. It is best to be wary of a price “too good to be true”. 

All in all, a counting scale can be an important purchase that merits thoughtful consideration of your business needs and your business growth plans. Proper reflection can ensure a correct purchase that increases productivity, increases accuracy and decreases shipping errors.