From research and development to intricate quality control, lab scales are an essential part of industries throughout Alberta. Lab scales can offer some of the most precise measurements in nearly any industry, but that level of precision depends on consistent care and technique. How do you maintain proper weighing practices to ensure consistent, long-term accuracy?
In this short blog with Accurate Scale, let’s dive into a few of our favourite insider tips for using and maintaining your lab scale. Read on!
#1: Stay on Top of Calibrations
The precision of your lab scale is only as accurate as your calibration practices. Lab scales are highly sensitive devices that react to even the smallest environmental changes or adjustments. As a result, maintaining a regular scale calibration schedule is essential to ensuring pinpoint accuracy. Scale calibration is also essential to ensuring that your scale maintains any Legal for Trade status your scale holds.
At Accurate Scale, we offer full-service and comprehensive calibration services for every lab scale application. We utilize government-tested weights and industry-standard knowledge to calibrate even the most sensitive laboratory scales with precision.
#2: Clean Your Scale Regularly
Lab scales contain highly sensitive strain gauges and precision load cells. As these components are built to react to extremely small forces, even small remnants of dirt, dust, or debris can cause inaccurate readings.
Make it a priority to clean and sanitize your lab scale regularly and carefully, following the specific instructions for your model. Every lab scale model is different and may require a specific cleaning method. For example, many analytical balances have draft shields that should be carefully removed before cleaning. Every lab scale comes with manufacturer cleaning instructions. For many lab scales, it’s important to use gentle cleaning tools and non-abrasive cleaners. Make sure to read and follow these instructions carefully.
#3: Keep Your Weighing Area Controlled
More than any other scale, lab scales rely on a disturbance and contaminant-free environment. A stable, controlled environment can help lab scales achieve precise measurements by reducing errors and saving valuable time.
Make it a point to ensure that your environment is clean and free of potential interferences. This includes keeping the scale away from any ventilation systems, open doors, or drafty openings. Another key factor to watch for is vibrations. Ensure that the surface on which the scale is placed is stable and free from excessive vibration, since even the slightest changes can cause reading fluctuations. Lastly, some scales are sensitive to temperature fluctuations. To avoid thermal drift, it’s best practice to keep the scale away from any radiant heat sources, such as sunlight, powered equipment, or even heat from hands.
#4: Choose the Proper Accessories
While accessories aren’t always necessary, they can offer significant quality-of-life benefits when using lab scales. Lab scales are used for a variety of applications, and the right accessories can tailor your device to your workflow. For example, precision balances being used to weigh out ink cartridges for retail sale can benefit from a printer accessory. At the same time, analytical balances used for chemical batching may benefit from the use of specialized sample pans to make sample transfer easier.
Lab scales offer many accessories, including:
- Printers
- Draft shields
- Dust covers
- Sample pans
- Vibration-proof tables
At Accurate Scale, we get our lab scale accessories from a wide range of suppliers. If you have a specific lab scale accessory in mind, let us know, and we’ll source it for you.
Scale Up Your Precision with Accurate Scale
Accurate Scale is one of Western Canada’s largest and trusted scale suppliers, serving local industries and businesses since 1978. From analytical balances and microbalances to precision balances and moisture analyzers, we have a solution for every application. Contact us to discover more about our comprehensive lab-scale solutions.