Parts Counting Scales
Your company must separate metal fasteners into boxes of 1000 each to be shipped out tonight. The manufacturing plant across the street must figure out how many metal stampings they have in inventory so that they know how many more to order. The advertising agency a few doors down wants to count and ship out 4500 paper mailings today. Whether filling kits of electrical components, counting printed matter, or taking inventory, parts counting scales can save time and money.
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Before counting parts using an industrial scale, the precise weight of each piece must be defined. This is done by counting out a sample of a known number of pieces. The number of pieces to be used is entered into the electronic scale using the digital display, and then the pieces are placed onto the scale platform to be weighed. If the pieces are in a storage container and the weight of the container is known, this weight may be subtracted from the measured weight in order to achieve a precise measurement for each piece. The total measured weight of the sample is divided by the number of pieces to determine the weight of one single piece. When the digital scale is switched into counting mode, the operator places an unknown number of pieces on the platform. The weight of these pieces is divided by a single piece weight to give the total number of pieces.
It is useful to be able to save the piece weight for many different objects in the scale’s memory so that the user does not have to go through the process of determining the weight of a piece each and every time he comes back to count parts. Parts counting scales offered by Arlyn Scales contain 500 different memory spots in which the weight of each piece can be stored for future use. A name can be given to each memory spot to make it easier to find. In addition, pre-defined piece weights may be downloaded from a computer database for use by the industrial scale.
When counting parts with electronic scales, there are several different ways to ensure an accurate reading. The weight of the original batch of parts should be higher than the resolution of the scale. For example, if a parts counting scale only measures to within .01 lbs. but a metal fastener weighs .00598 lbs, then using only one fastener as the sample batch will result in inaccuracy as high as about 70% since the fasteners will be measured as weighing .01 lbs. However, if 100 such fasteners are counted out and placed on the scale, inaccuracy will drop to just over 1%. While counting out 100 fasteners may be time consuming, remember that once a piece weight is measured, it can be stored in the system’s memory for future use. The time spent counting out the original batch of parts is an investment that will result in higher accuracy.
Another method for achieving higher accuracy in counting parts is to use a scale that has higher resolution. Arlyn Scales Ultra Precision SAW scales are a good example for this type of parts counting scale, with readabilities as low as .0001 lbs. Continuing our previous example, if one fastener is weighed on a SAW scale that measures to within .0001 lbs, then its weight will be accurate to just about 1%. If an Ultra Precision SAW scale is used to measure 100 fasteners, inaccuracy will drop to near zero. Dual platform counting scales erase the need to count out large batches of parts. One platform with higher resolution is used to measure the piece weight. This piece weight is then used by the other platform with higher capacity but lower resolution to count out a large number of parts.
It is very important for electronic counting scales, like any precision scales, to be resistant to wear and tear that results from shock and overload. It is not uncommon, when measuring a heavy batch of items, to drop it on a scale, causing large force. Many manufacturers choose to use aluminum load cells with cannot hold up to such abuse that can be withstood by stainless steel load cells, which are found in industrial scales manufactured by Arlyn Scales.
It is useful for parts counting scales to be able to communicate with computers. Connections through USB ports or over wireless or wired networks allow scales to be linked up with computer databases and store large swaths of information in an organized manner.
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