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Scale Depot Guide to Scale Calibration: Ensuring Accuracy for Your Business
If your business relies on scales, ensuring they are properly calibrated is essential. Even the highest-quality scales experience normal wear and tear, and over time, this can cause accuracy to decline.
Factors such as electric or mechanical shock, or exposure to harsh environments with moisture, oils, or metal debris, can accelerate the loss of precision. That’s why regular calibration is critical to maintaining the accuracy you need.
What Is Scale Calibration
Calibration is the process of testing your scale against a known standard to verify its accuracy. This is particularly important in industries like laboratories, where precise measurements are crucial.
Inaccurate scales can negatively impact your business by leading to issues like product quality control failures, wasted materials, or even product recalls in processing and manufacturing settings.
How Does the Calibration Procedure Work
The calibration process involves placing a certified mass or known standard weight on the scale and recording the reading. If the measurement matches or falls within the acceptable tolerance range, no adjustment is needed. However, if it falls outside of the tolerance, the scale will require service to restore accuracy.
Many scales have an instrument range that determines their capacity for measuring weights. Calibration may not always cover this entire range but can be focused on a specific calibration range, often from zero to a chosen maximum weight. Multiple points between these ranges are checked to ensure precision.
Common Questions About Scale Calibration
What is Factory Calibration?
When you purchase a scale, it usually comes with factory calibration, meaning it was calibrated at the manufacturing facility. While this may seem sufficient, the scale’s location at your business might differ in elevation or environmental conditions from the factory, affecting accuracy. That’s why on-site calibration is often necessary to ensure optimal performance in your specific setting.
How Often Should You Calibrate Your Scales?
The frequency of calibration depends on several factors, including how often the scales are used, the environmental conditions, and how critical accuracy is to your operations.
High-usage scales may need to be calibrated monthly, while others might only require annual calibration. A common recommendation for frequently used scales is quarterly certified calibration with weekly spot checks.
The Role of Wear and Tear in Scale Calibration
Scales that are used constantly are subject to faster wear and tear. Scales in challenging environments with dust, fluids, or vibrations may also experience more rapid declines in accuracy.
In such cases, more frequent calibrations may be necessary to ensure reliable performance. For businesses where precise measurements are critical—such as in pharmaceuticals or manufacturing—the cost of inaccuracies can be significant, and routine calibration becomes even more important.
What Is Calibration Tolerance and How Is It Calculated?
Calibration tolerance refers to the allowable deviation from the exact weight. Manufacturers provide accuracy and tolerance specifications for scales, but additional factors like regulatory requirements and internal quality standards should also be considered.
For instance, if your process requires a precision of ±5 grams, and your scale has a manufacturer’s tolerance of ±0.25 grams, your calibration should ensure that the deviation stays within this acceptable range. Consistency across similar instruments within your facility is also key to ensuring accuracy.
What Is Legal-for-Trade Calibration?
Legal-for-trade calibration is required if your scale is used for commercial purposes, such as determining prices based on weight. This ensures your scale meets the standards of regulatory bodies like the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), as outlined in Handbook 44. Scales used in commercial settings are subject to inspection by state weights and measures officials, and scales that fail inspection can be taken out of service until they are recalibrated.
Do You Need to Register Your Weighing Devices?
In many states, commercial scales must be registered with the local authorities to ensure compliance with regulations. This is another critical step in ensuring that your scale remains in proper working order and avoids fines or disruptions due to non-compliance.
How Can Scale Depot Help?
At Scale Depot, we understand the importance of accurate weighing for your business. We offer various calibration services tailored to your specific needs, ensuring that your scales remain compliant and operate at peak performance.
Our expert technicians can handle everything from routine calibration to repairs and adjustments, providing peace of mind and reliable results.
Contact Scale Depot today to learn more about our calibration services and maintenance plans to keep your scales in top condition.