How To Care For Your Industrial Balance

Industrial balances are calibrated to have extreme sensitivity to all items that must be weighed in industrial and laboratory settings. Proper care for your industrial balance is critical for the continued functioning and accuracy of the instrument. These tips will help you care for your industrial-grade balance.

Calibrate Your Balance

Your balance needs to be calibrated on an annual basis to ensure it continues to function. Without being calibrated, your balance will cease to be accurate over time. To have your balance calibrated, seek out a company that that specializes in the repair and calibration of laboratory balances. Getting your scale professionally calibrated is the best way to ensure that the process is done accurately and correctly.

Test the Balance Regularly

An important part of owning a balance is ensuring that the balance is delivering reliable, repeatable information. Perform the following tests on a regular basis:

Repeatability – Your balance should give the same reading for a specific weight each time that weight is put on the pan. To test this, place a weight on the pan that is close to the weight capacity of the scale. Then, remove the weight and allow the balance to return to zero. Put the weight back on the pan and ensure that the reading is the same, or very close to the same as the first reading.

Cornerload – Your balance should give the same reading regardless of the position of the weight on the pan. To test cornerload, place the weight used in the repeatability test in the center of the pan. Take the reading for the weight, then move the weight halfway to the front, rear and sides of the pan. The reading should not change from one position to the next.

If these tests indicate that your balance has a problem, your balance may need to be calibrated or repaired. If this is the case, take your balance to a professional for proper maintenance.

Clean the Balance After Every Use

Proper cleaning is important after each use of the balance. This is especially critical when the balance is used to weigh corrosive or reactive chemicals that could pose a threat to the balance or to the people using the balance. Use a camel-hair brush to dust off the pan after every use.

Performing all these tasks on a regular basis will help ensure that your balance is in proper working order. For more information about using or purchasing an industrial-grade laboratory balance, contact a dealer like Strack Scale Services.