The new office is located an hour south of Amsterdam in the town of Zaltbommel.

The new office will be serviced by trained staff who will be able to take enquiries and handle logistics. The warehouse gives us is 3000sq ft of space allowing us to hold stock of a wide range of weighing products from parcel scales to floor scales.

The product range for the first six months will be limited to a handful of weighing machines that suit most customers requirements. As the demand for more specialist weighing equipment increases we shall address the product range as required. Whilst the new EU web shop will have product lines missing that are currently found on the UK web shop we will be happy to service any orders as needed.

The new web shop will be in Dutch whilst we translate into other languages, the Dutch version can be found at Scalesmart.nl

Our head office will remain in Leicester, England.

No related posts.

]]>

Most modern industrial scales feature a port of some sort that will enable the connection of a scale to a computer. There are quite a few different ways to collect the data from a weighing scale depending on the particular model that has been chosen.

RS232c Interface:
This connection is by far the most common that you will find, typically the connection is via a 9 pin d type connector on the rear of the scale or terminals that are wired inside, the latter is more common on scales that need to be waterproof. RS232 is very flexible in the sense that you can add a range of options such as WiFi, Ethernet or USB to any scale that has RS232 using convertors. The convertors change the connection type allowing you to easily network scales, typically software on the computer will convert the connection back to a COM port. RS232 cabling has its limitations; if you are not using a convertor then you will be limited to roughly 20-25mtrs at a 9600 baud rate before the signal degrades and data is lost.

RS485 Interface:
These types of connections are not as common as the RS232 but can be found on higher spec machines that have this option. RS485 allows you to multi drop one cable into a series of scales without running one cable to each unit. Imagine a clothes line with washing pegged on it, each item of clothing is a scale and the line is the cable. With RS232 you would need a cable for every scale. RS485 allows you to create an inexpensive network of scales. The range of RS485 is also considerably longer and data rates can operate at much higher baud rates, ideal if you have a high speed operation where lots of data is being transmitted continuously.  There are convertors on the market that will change a RS232 signal into a RS485 signal if distances and speed are an issue.

USB Interface:
The more modern way of connecting peripheral devices to a computer is via USB,  weighing scales are still in their infancy when it comes to pure USB connections with plug and play. Whilst it is possible to connect scales via USB, there is still a requirement to add software on to your computer that replicates a COM port allowing you to collect the data.

WiFi Connections:
Connecting scales to a network is reasonably simple, there are many different industrial WiFi systems available, the interfaces are wired up to the RS232 output of the scale allowing you to stream data over a wireless network and collect it via an IP address on a network, there is software available that will replicate a COM port from data sent via an IP address. Some higher spec scales are now starting to be supplied with WiFi ports already built in to them.

Bluetooth Connectivity:
The ability to connect weighing scales to computers via Bluetooth has been around for a couple of years now. Like other types of connections listed above they are not similar to a mobile phone or headset, they work by replicating a COM port on the host computer.

Overview:
By now you may have realised that whilst its simple to connect scales to a computer it may not be straight forward as you might think. There are a number of basic software packages available that will take data from a COM port and push it into a database or spreadsheet. For more complex systems where there maybe data that needs formulating or multiple scales on  system MWS Ltd have developed software packages that can be tailor made to a customer’s specific requirements. Budget packages start at a very reasonable £250.00 for a basic program that sort’s data sent into a spreadsheet with options for extra data fields and tabs for extra scales.

No related posts.

The new package allows you to print weights on labels with upto 4 lines of fixed header information, such as a company name and phone number or product information. We can also now print date and times on to the labels, this is dependant on the type of indicator used.

More information on the Zebra GK420d.

No related posts.

In this picture you can clearly see two scales with 20kg weights placed on them. The scale on the left was fresh out of the box and tested, the error shown is plus 18g, the scale on the right has been calibrated using our traceable calibration weights.

Whilst we aim to keep our prices low it is imperative that scales are tested and calibrated to remove errors such as these, these costs are taken into account.

Please do not confuse a calibration certificate with a standard calibration, the certificate provides you with detailed results and traceability back to national standards.

No related posts.

Our customer didn’t understand the difference between the traceable certificate we supply and EC verification, its a common problem and that is the reason for this post.

Highstreet Example:
When you visit a butcher and you ask for 1kg of Lamb chops for supper the butcher will place your request on a scale.

The scale he or she uses should be EC Verified or Trade Approved, this is a  legal requirement of the Government and EU to protect the consumer from being undersold. The scales will have gone through stringent checks to ensure that the weight displayed is correct and falls with in set tolerances.

Any transaction that takes place on a scale needs to be done on a scale that has been EC Verified or Trade Approved.

Commercial Supply Example:
A supplier is selling you an IBC full of 1000kg of product, on the invoice you receive it states 1000kg and the price of the product. By law the scale must be EC verified / Trade Approved.

Commercial Receive Example:
You are offering to recycle/reclaim 1000kg of waste from your customer, he has brought it to your site for you to weigh and you will be paying him for the waste product as it has a value. By law the scale must be EC verified / Trade Approved.

Commercial Service Example:
You visit a clients site to shred confidential paperwork, you charge your customer £1.00 per 10kg. You weigh the paper before it is shredded and produce a bill based on the amount shredded. By law the scale must be EC verified / Trade Approved.

Traceable Calibration Certificates:
These types of certificate do not make the scale Approved / Verfied or legal for trade, a traceable certificate only give you an audit trail that may be important for a BRC or ISO accreditation. Any scale can be certificated, from a kitchen scale all the way up to a 50 Tonne weighbridge. Most auditors will require a certificate for any calibrated item along with a paper trail.

As part of our service we offer a full set of traceable documentation that will cover you for audits, these include the following.

1) Weight Certificates traceable to National Standards.
2) Our ISO9001 Certificate
3) Method Statement
4) Health & Safety policies
5) Insurance Statements – Employee and Public Liability

I hope that some of these pointer help you understand a bit more about EC Verification / Trade Approval and Calibration Certificates and the areas that they are needed.

No related posts.

We are happy to ship the free gifts to an alternative address if needed.

Unfortunately this deal is only in conjunction with Ohaus products at present.

No related posts.

Scalesmart supply a wide range of ATEX weighing scales, from small bench scales used in labs and production lines to large platforms and vessel applications.

Before looking at ATEX scales its best to establish what Zone rating your area has. Is it at risk from Gas or Dust, is the risk always present of sometimes present?

The different zoning classifications are determined by your business needs, Scalesmart do not rate your zone for you.

Usually Zone 1 rated scales are used in areas where a risk is always present, the price of these scales are typically more expensive than Zone 2 due to a special power supply and extra protection.

Scalesmart supply a range of ATEX rated equipment from Bizerba, Dini Argeo, GSE Inc and Sartorius, as an independent weighing scale company we source the best scales available within your budget. You are not fixed to one set brand and have to work within the confines of the price list.

As manufacturers we can design and fabricate simple or intricate weighing scales for your exact requirements, offering full flexibility means you get the scale you need, not what’s off the shelf.

For advice about different types of ATEX weighing scales and the range that we offer then please do not hesitate to call us on 0800-915-4201 and one of our specialist weighing experts will be available to take your call.

No related posts.

When choosing a new calibration company there are a number of factors to consider and looking for a trustworthy business to carry out your maintenance should be high on the list. We know what it takes to help you pass your audits and maintain a good QA standard.

This is how Scalesmart can help.

Scalesmart has a team of engineers that visit clients’ sites and carry out routine scale maintenance and calibration. We have a number of household name companies in our portfolio of clients, many of these are blue chip businesses who we have dealt with for a number of years.

We have held contracts with a number of large companies due to the quality of service that we offer. Some of our long term clients include:

• Weetabix
• Walkers Crisps (pepsico)
• Northern Foods
• Balflour Beatty
• Premier Foods
• Many More!!

We have held these contracts for many years, which is a testament to the quality of service we give.

We are fully ISO approved and offer traceability to National Standards required by many auditors and the BRC.

Give us a call if you want to sign up to one of the best scale calibration companies in the UK and become another satisfied customer.

No related posts.

We are constantly bombarded with emails offering cheap platform and floor scales. It’s very surprising at how little these units cost. I recently saw one seller on ebay offering a floor scale including delivery and VAT for £349.00. Whilst the cost of labour is a lot lower in the Far East the cost of materials and components is relatively comparable. The cost of materials and components (less VAT) that go into our scales is more than the price that this seller was advertising at.

Components Needed:

• 1250mm x 1250mm Steel Sheet – 5mm Thick
• 7-8 metres of Steel Box Section
• 4 x Shear Beam Load Cells
• 4 x Load Cell Feet
• 1 x Junction Box
• 5mtrs of Cable
• 1 x Digital Indicator
• 1 tin of cheap paint (lead free? probably not)
• 1 x Man to build said scale

Some of these cheap scales on eBay even being quoted as UK manufactured.

“Hrrrmm………Really? At that price?”

I had a good laugh at that statement.

That begs the question:
“What are you getting for your money?”

Well in most instances not a great deal, yes a floor scale sits on the ground and weighs pallets but try getting spares when it needs repairing.

A false economy? We think so.

PS. I’ve just been offered a 1200mm x 1200mm floor scale from China for £128.00 each, that’s even at today’s £ to $ rate.

If you’re looking for a good quality UK manufactured scale then visit Scalesmart, we’ve been selling scales on line since 2000 with pride!

No related posts.