The Importance of Scale Maintenance
Businesses that use scales do so to operate efficiently. When scales are not working properly the bottom line feels it either in material loss, incorrect packaging of a product, or overfilling. So why maintain your scales? Routine calibrations and preventative maintenance prolong the life of the weighing instruments and ensure that it will continue to operate to specification.
What Effects Accuracy?
It is obviously important for scales to consistently give accurate results over time. However, various environmental factors may affect scale accuracy. These factors can include temperature variations, aging of load cells, power fluctuations and surges, as well as misuse that scales may incur in rugged industrial environments. These lead to scale efficiency and accuracy drops and could also result in downtime. Diagnosing and correcting minor problems early on help to avoid major problems down the road, essentially prolonging the life of the scale. When self-troubleshooting a scale the best place to start is to look at the production around the scale. Take in environmental factors so that the problem can be solved and does not persist over time.
Why Calibrate Often?
Consistent calibration is another consideration for the importance of scale maintenance. Scales often will “drift” and lose their calibration over time. In some productions, being off five pounds could mean giving away thousands of dollars of product. Having a scale technician check your calibration against traceable test weights will ensure that your scales remain within your tolerances.
Carlton Scale is an expert when it comes to our preventative maintenance agreements. We offer completely customizable solutions to make sure that we fit your needs.