Why do construction companies need accurate weighing scales?

An accurate industrial scale is essential for many sectors, especially for the construction industry which is worth £110 billion per annum to the UK economy.

Construction covers a wide range of professions - many of which use weighing scales as part of their work to ensure goods are accurately built, and ensure defects are avoided or eradicated.

But why is it essential that accurate weighing scales are used in construction? This blog post explains.

Why are industrial scales used in construction and design?

An inaccurate weight reading can potentially be dangerous to the end user, or mean the customer is not provided with value for money. An inaccurate weight can also be harmful to recordkeeping.

Weighing is essential for monitoring stock levels. If stock levels are too low it could scupper projects, whereas excessive stocks could take up space and increase business’ costs.

Scales are used to weigh nearly anything - from small screws to large cement bags.

Materials that are sold to other businesses are likely to have been sold based on weight, which requires a Trade Approved scale.

How are industrial scales used in construction sectors?

Weighing Paint

Scales can help measure the quantity of pigments when mixing paints or lubricants to ensure they meet colour and consistency standards. Keim Paints use the Shimadzu BX for this purpose.

“It is very important in our production area to have such accurate scales and with such small increments in grams. Our colours have very specific ingredients. For instance, if a colour needs 1.5 grams of red to be accurate, and we put in 2 grams, this is a whole 25% extra and this would ruin the colour. We would then need many more alterations to recorrect.” You can read the case study here.

Weighing Plastic

Weighing scales are used to measure the weight of components and finished plastics, ensuring they are meeting the weight of specifications. Counting scales are used to ensure items are meeting stock requirements. Further, choosing a sophisticated weighing scale can automate, and therefore speed up production processes and mean human error risk is remove. You can find more on using scales to weigh plastics here.

Weighing Cement

Cement requires a certain formula to ensure consistency is correct. Increasing the cement increases the cement, but if the amount is exceeded there is a risk of negative consequences. Not only can it create a brittle, inadequate solution but it can reduce costs. You can read more about the consequences of inaccurate quantities in cement here.

Which industrial scales do construction companies use?

Counting Scales: Counting scales are used in construction to work out the individual piece weight and the total piece count. Use of counting scales can ensure batches meet specifications. Our DC-400 is a highly accurate and sophisticated counting scale, and has 13,000 item memory meaning that processes can be completed faster.

Bench Scales: A bench scale is a robust but portable weighing scale which can be used on a worktop or a bench. The HSS with the JIK indicator is suitable for data transfer capabilities to transfer weight readings to a PC or be connected to a printer. The base is also IP67 certified stainless steel, so can be washed down after use.

Precision Balances: These types of scales can be used to measure the slightest changes in weight and many are Class I Approved, like the ATX Series, which means they have been tested to a very rigorous standard.

Platform Scales: For heavy goods, platform scales are capable of weighing up to 5000kg. They are ideal for weighing palletised goods, but also suitable for weighing sacks, roll cages and dolavs.

Crane Scales: When it is suspension weighing you need, a crane scale is perfect. Not only can they be used to weigh awkwardly shaped items, a crane scale stands in situ when not in use. The OCS-Z is Marsden’s highest capacity crane scale with a capacity to 20,000kg. You can read ‘How to use crane scales’ here.

For more information about Marsden industrial scales, call 01709 364296 or contact us here.