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Balance and Weighing Scale Specialists

Call Durban Office: 031 564 8755 | Call Cape Town Office: 021 982 0928



Balance and Weighing Scale Specialists

Call Durban Office: 031 564 8755

Call Cape Town Office: 021 982 0928


What is Readability and Capacity? Why Do They Matter When Buying a Scale?

What is Readability and Capacity? Why Do They Matter When Buying a Scale?

You’re in the market for a new weighing scale or balance. Theres a lot of variety to choose from, so you want to narrow down your options. Where to start? First, you need to consider what capacity and readability is right for you – after that, the selection process becomes much easier. But what are capacity and readability? Why do they matter so much? Let’s discuss.  

What is Readability? 

The readability of a scale is the finest division – or increment – of results that the scale can display. 

For example, if a compact or bench scale’s readability is 0.1g, your results would display in increments of 0.1g. If the readability is 1kg, as is common with large platforms like the PT or crane scales like the IHS, you would only get results in increments of 1kg, without decimal places.  

The more increments, or divisions, the more precise the scale or balance. Semi-micro analytical balances like the Solis often display results up to the fourth or fifth decimal place, which is why they’re commonly found in laboratories.  

What is Capacity? 

The capacity of a scale or balance is the maximum amount of weight it can handle, both technologically and physically. A floor scale with a capacity of 300kg will give you results up to 300kg, after which the display will show a blank screen or dashes as an indication that it’s overloaded.  

A scale may be able to hold slightly more than their capacity (usually 25% more) before becoming physically damaged. However, to ensure the longevity of your scale, we recommend that you avoid overloading. If it happens accidentally, remove the weight quickly. 

Minimum Weight 

The opposite of a scale’s capacity is its minimum weight. Just as a scale can’t display more than its capacity, it also can’t display results significantly lower either – at least not with full accuracy. For example, you may think that a balance with a capacity of 15kg and 0.1g readability can weigh a 0.1g item, but that isn’t always true.  

While capacity is a hard limit, minimum weight is flexible. Different industries have varying standards they use for calculating a scale’s minimum weight. Pharmacy, for example, may use a higher minimum weight than manufacturing because they need to be 100% certain of accuracy. However, all industries agree that at the extreme lower end of a scale or balance’s capacity the results begin to become unreliable. 

Why Capacity and Readability Matter 

You’re not going to be able to find a scale with a high 300kg capacity as well as a five-place readability. You’ll need to prioritise one or the other. Luckily, most applications only require one of these extremes, so it’s about finding the scale or balance that best fits your needs. This may mean purchasing at least two different scales to meet different requirements. The two main considerations are how you’re matching your purpose and how you’re meeting legal standards. 

Matching Your Purpose 

Let’s say your job is formulating medications in the pharmaceutical industry. The smallest error in dosage can have grave consequences. Balances with this task need to be as precise as possible. There’s a large difference between a capsule being 0.68489g and it being 0.62321g – so a readability of just 0.1g where you would get a result of 0.6g won’t cut it. A semi-micro or analytical balance with a five-place readability, like Solis, is ideal.

Now, let’s consider that your job is weighing palletised boxes of that same medication to ship to pharmacies. Would the display reading 524kg instead of 523.7kg have an impact on how much you’re paying for shipping? Likely not, so it’s more important to get a large, durable platform scale with a high capacity. However, if you’re shipping a padded envelope on its own, 1kg isn’t precise enough – the envelope may not even weigh that much. A bench scale like Latitude would offer the precision you need, rather than continuing to use the same pallet scale.   

You can’t use a platform scale for medication or a semi-micro balance for pallet weighing, so investing in the right scale or balance for the right purpose is crucial.  

Legal Compliance 

When choosing a scale, legal requirements can play a significant role in your decision. If you’re working in quality control, for example, your company may require that each product weighs within a gram of each other, which means scales that offer 1g readabilities are sufficient. If they require accuracy to the nearest tenth of a gram, you’ll need one with a 0.1g readability.  

Are you selling products by weight? In that case, you need a trade approved scale. Trade approved scales are government certified to be accurate enough to sell products by weight. In South Africa, the body that decides this is called the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications, or NRCS. However, just because they’re legally approved doesn’t mean you can ignore readability. 

Here’s why: Let’s say you’re selling sugar at R2 per 5g using a trade-approved bench scale with a readability of 5g. If a customer’s purchase weighs 58g, the scale will round it to 60g as per its readability, overcharging the customer by R2. This not only damages trust but could also violate consumer protection laws. Guaranteeing the scale’s readability aligns with your product’s pricing increments is essential to maintain fairness and legal compliance. 

Key Considerations: 

Here’s what to think about when traversing the Scaletec site for your next scale or balance: 

1. What are the heaviest and lightest items I’ll need to weigh? 

  • This will help you determine the capacity and minimum weight requirements 

2. What level of precision do I need?

  • Think about how many increments your results need to be displayed in 
  • Different tasks may require different levels of precision, so don’t be afraid to look for more than one machine to cover your needs 

3. Are there any legal or regulatory requirements I need to meet?

  • Research your country, state and company regulations to ensure compliance 

4. Do I need a trade-approved scale?

  • If you’re selling by weight, a trade-approved scale is essential to comply with legal standards 

 

If you have any questions about finding your next scale or balance, please contact the Scaletec team for help.  

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