What is a stamping fee?
A stamping fee is the process undertaken to make a scale Trade Approved - as it ensures the scale has been built, tested, verified and calibrated to a certain standard.
As explained in our Trade Approved blog post – Legal For Trade Scales were brought in to protect the customer. There are certain situations when they must be used.
A stamping fee can also be known as a Trade Approved fee or verification fee. But what is the process and why do scales manufacturers charge a fee? All is explained in this blog post.
Why do manufacturers charge a stamping fee?
Only Trading Standards or a self-verifying manufacturer, in accordance with the NAWI directive, can stamp scales. Trading Standards charge for this procedure, and weighing manufacturers - like Marsden - have followed suit.
The process requires a highly skilled engineer to complete and high precision (and time) is needed to ensure the scale weighs accurately.
Scales are tested in the centre of the scale, followed by the corners to ensure consistency and reliability on every scale. Every Class III scale should weigh every item the same, as a result of the directive.
What is the stamping process?
Marsden frequently receives calls from customers asking ‘what is a stamping fee?’ - and this is what we tell them.
The origins of stamping involved a process which took place many years ago where scales were literally ‘stamped’ when the process of testing and verifying them for Class III use was complete.
Nowadays the term is used to signify that a scale has been Class III Approved, and therefore can be used when the weight determines the price of the item or used in ‘determination of mass in the practice of medicine for weighing patients for the purposes of monitoring, diagnosis and medical treatment.’
Marsden and Marsden engineers are authorised on the NAWI directive to self-verify scales. Only a select group of weighing companies in the UK have the necessary permissions to self-verify scales - scales by many other manufacturers require verification by Trading Standards.
Trading Standards Officers
The weights used in the testing process must be verified weights. The tolerances set out in NAWI directive, which determines what makes a Class III Approved scale, can be quite tight – so a highly trained engineer is needed to ensure the scale is weighing accurately.
The scale is tested at various points by Trading Standards or a highly-skilled engineer, which is shown on Marsden’s Certificate of Verification. This in turn generates the Declaration of Conformity, which is sent to the customer.
Marsden has a large range of Class III Approved scales, and each one will go through this process before it reaches the customer. Marsden’s stamping fees are typically included in the price of the scale.
For more information about the verification fee, or to find out more about Marsden’s Class III Approved scales for medical, industrial or retail use, speak to our team on 01709 364296 or contact us here.