Floor Scale Tips - How To Buy Industrial Floor Scales

Floor scales have been around for a while now.  Reputable brands like Ohaus and CAS have been making these products for years.  So what exactly is a floor scale?  Well, it's essentially a massive scale that sits on the floor!  This may seem like a rather simplistic description, but when it comes right down to it, that's all they are.  While the essence of these scales seem fairly straightforward, they are actually very complex machines.  As the demand for accurate weight measurements grows, so does the demand for these items.  They are found in all sorts of industries now.  Consolidators, forwarders, processing plants and warehouses are common places where you'll find one of these.  If you're keen on buying one of these units for your warehouse, keep in mind that some of the best deals these days can be found online.  Do a bit of shopping around before making a purchase though. 

So what should one be looking for when buying a floor scale for their business anyways? Well first of all you have to make sure that is takes accurate measurements. There is no sense in spending a lot of money on a nice scale if it can't even give you an accurate weight! This is why it's good to spend a bit more money and go with a brand name that you recognize. You also have to consider your warehouse space. Do you use forklifts? If so, you probably want to consider getting a fairly big scale for your workplace. Most decent scales allow you to simply drop a palette full of material onto the scale for weighing.   If you run a smaller operation, there are a few options available for you. Some scales come with a lower profile that allows you to use a palette jack and roll the load onto the surface of the scale. More expensive models even have little ramps that fold down, making this process even easier!  In case you're wondering, these products come in a variety of different sizes.  The most common, from what I can tell, is about 4' x 4'.  That said, I've seen units that are 8' x 10'.  Now that's what I call a scale!

A Few Floor Scale Options To Consider

Now that you've decided on the general size of the scale you need, there are a couple of other options to consider.  The first and most obvious decision is material.  Industrial scales like this are almost always made out of metal.  The stainless steel models are the most expensive but are definitely built to last.  They're durable, tough and take all kinds of abuse.  Being stainless, they also have the added bonus of not rusting.  This is important if you plan on weighing gallons of liquid chemicals.  Another material you can use is aluminum.  These units have the distinct advantage of being light.  Unlike their stainless steel counterparts, these aluminum units can be moved around the warehouse space pretty easily.  Because of this, you'll often find aluminum floor scales in shipping/receiving areas.  Trucks are always coming and going in these areas and stuff often has to be moved without much notice.  Other materials that aren't quite as popular as the ones mentioned above include baked enamel or powder coats.  These products are both steel, but not stainless.  They are painted a variety of different colours.

Another option that you can have added to most scales is a digital screen.  These are great and, as far as I know, not too many manufacturers actually make analog items anymore!  Digital floor scales have become the industry standard in recent years.  The screens are great because you can switch between units of measurement with the push of a button.  This means that one scale can measure in lbs(pounds) and kg(kilograms).  Another common feature on these electronic units is the ability to "hold" the weight on the screen.  Using this feature is very simple.  You just put the product on the scale and get the weight.  Now you press the "hold" button and take the product off.  The figure will stay on the digital screen until you hit the "release" button.  This will greatly increase efficiency in your warehouse or plant.