What Is A Truck Scale Retrofit?

When To Consider a Truck Scale Retrofit or Conversion

Truck scales are a significant investment for any company, and the major distributors pride themselves on making a durable, long-lasting product. However, like any equipment, even truck scales suffer from wear and tear. Instead of paying for unscheduled maintenance on your truck scale, or an entirely new scale, a truck scale retrofit can sometimes be a sensible and cost-effective way to get your truck scale working properly again.

There are two options for getting your truck scale back up and running at peak performance: a complete truck scale replacement or a truck scale retrofit. A retrofit is when technicians only replace the worn down or malfunctioning parts of the truck scale, which are usually the load cells, wiring, etc. Retrofitting your truck scale can be a more affordable method of getting your scale working again. Below are several factors that must be considered when thinking about a truck scale retrofit.

1.  Scale issues

It is important to determine what the issue with your scale is. This is something that your scale technician can help you with. Scale decks are usually durable and long-lasting because they are made of concrete or steel; however, if there happens to be an issue with the weighbridge, then a complete truck scale retrofit of the load cells and other scale technology would not be sufficient to get the scale working properly again. Your scale technician can help you diagnose the problem with your scale and advise you on the options available for addressing the issue.

 2.  Foundation

Just like the scale deck, the foundation must also be in good condition for a truck scale retrofit to make sense. The foundation is typically one of the most costly and labor-intensive aspects of installing a truck scale. Consequently, if yours in good condition then a retrofit might be ideal for your truck scale.

 3.  Expense

While not as expensive as a complete truck scale install, a retrofit can still be costly. Replacement load cells and other electronics tend to be expensive. Additionally, identifying the problem and fixing the appropriate parts can require substantial labor hours which can also increase the price. Nonetheless, a retrofit generally takes less time than a complete truck scale replacement, which means that you have less lost revenue while your scale is down for repairs.

4. Upgrades

If a retrofit is a possibility for your truck scale, it could be a good time to make upgrades to your scale that you’ve been wanting, such as moving from analog to digital load cells, getting a new indicator, etc. 

Consulting your scale dealer is a great way to see if your malfunctioning truck scale is a candidate for a retrofit. They will be able to identify which parts of your truck scale are not working properly, and how much it would cost to replace those components. From there, you can make the decision about whether a retrofit or a complete truck scale replacement is the more sensible option.

 

 Closing Words

At American Scale we strive to bring you informed and useful content on all things scale related. Be sure to check out our legal for trade truck scale system articles about truck scale foundation or how much do truck scales cost. We even have a guide to warranties. We also have articles on scale accessories, common problems to prolong your scales lifespan, weighing applications as well as what scale indicator works best with your junction box. To learn more about bench scales, it would be good to check out our other articles such as “Bench Scale Basics'' andHow Much Does A Bench Scale Cost?”. These articles will help with the basics of bench scale ownership.

What Options To Consider on A Floor Scale?

Floor Scale Options To Consider

Floor scales are often referred to as pallet scales, platform scales, or shipping scales. Often times these terms are all used interchangeable. Generally, standard floor scales are 4 ft by 4 ft and have a capacity of up to 5,000 lbs. That being said floor scales are available in many other sizes and capacities. You may also be wondering how much floor scales cost; checkout our blog post to learn more.

1) Do you need a legal for trade or NTEP certified floor scale?

This is a key point to understand when buying any scale but particularly a floor scale. NTEP certified scales mean they are authorized to be used for the buying & selling of a product off the scale. With this comes much better accuracy and higher quality in the scale. We only sell legal for trade scales because quality is so important in a scale. Don’t be fooled by the cheap internet floor scales.

2) What size and capacity floor scale?

Are you weighing just shipping pallets then a 4 ft by 4 ft scale should be perfect; however, if you are weighing items with varying sizes something larger may be required. In addition to the size make sure you consider capacity. What is the heaviest item you would be weighing? Don’ forget to include the weight of the pallet, tote, or other container in addition the actual product you are weighing. A higher capacity scale will come with larger capacity load cells reducing the risk of overloading and damaging the scale.

3) What add-on features may I need?

Make sure to consider any additional needs you may have for the scale. These can include the need to connect the scale to a computer, to print labels, or to connect to a remote display. These features are often not included with many cheap internet scales but standard on quality floor scales.

4) Features to look for on when considering a floor scale purchase

A) High Quality Top Access Junction Box; ensure the junction box doesn’t have direct soldered load cells connections, and is accessible from the top of the scale (not the side).

B) Indicator or Readout will last; ensure the indicator is housed in either ABS plastics or stainless steel. If you operate in an environment that may get wet consider upgrading to an IP rated indicator to ensure water will not get into the indicator and destroy it. Look for the ability to change between units, tare and zero, and send weight date via serial output.

C) Strong heavy I-beam deck; be on the lookout for cheap internet scales lacking I-beam supports resulting in the scale deck flexing under load and weighing inaccurately.

D) Quality scale feet; look for stainless steel or well made rubber feet. Too often cheap scales provide uneven and different length feet meaning your scale is never level and will weigh wrong.

E) Warranty; what length warranty is provided. Also make sure the scale manufacturer is one that has been around for years to service that warranty. Too often Chinese scale manufacturer come and go leaving scale buyers with poor quality scales and no warranty protection.

To see what floor scales American Scale offers checkout our floor scales page or our floor scale shop to buy directly.

Closing Words

At American Scale we strive to bring you informed and useful content on all things scale related. Be sure to check out our legal for trade truck scale system articles about truck scale foundation or how much do truck scales cost. We even have a guide to warranties. We also have articles on scale accessories, common problems to prolong your scales lifespan, weighing applications as well as what scale indicator works best with your junction box. To learn more about bench scales, it would be good to check out our other articles such as “Bench Scale Basics'' andHow Much Does A Bench Scale Cost?”. These articles will help with the basics of bench scale ownership.

How Much Does A Floor Scale Cost?

Floor scales are large weighing platforms capable of withstanding heavy duty weighing and rough conditions. Floor scales can be used to weigh many things such as pallets and heavy items. They come in a couple of different forms and dimensions and represent any sort of weighing equipment that operates on floor level. This includes pallet scales, platform scales, and pallet beams. Understanding what kind of quality and dimensions of floor scales that are available is important to understanding the cost of a floor scale. There are basic floor scales ranging in size from 3x3 to 5x5 with 1,000 lb - 20,000 lb capacity.  A good quality, mild steel standard floor scale will cost anywhere between $800 - $2,000.  A good quality stainless steel floor scale will cost anywhere between $2,000 to $10,000 depending on what size and weight capacity you buy, not including installation and shipping fees. 

TYPES OF FLOOR SCALES

·       Material- Stainless Steel or Mild Steel

·       Power Type- Electronic or Hydraulic

·       Gas-assisted lift deck or no lift deck

·       Pit mounted or not

As previously mentioned, stainless-steel floor scales are more expensive and are typically used for more wet, heavy duty conditions. Many of these scales will have a quick clean application through gas-assisted lift decks. These steel decks can easily fold up and allow for cleaning under the scale. These scales are typically found in applications such as food processing, where the scale is going to need to be washed down from time to time to ensure sanitation. Other applications that do not require clean downs probably do not need a lift deck floor scale.

To save space, many customers will opt for a pit-mounted floor scale, where the floor scale will be installed in a pit so that the scale will be right at floor level. This will allow for easy transportation of items onto the scale. The cost of digging out a pit in concrete floors is roughly between $2,500 to $5,000 depending on the size and if a drainage system were to be installed under the scale. Keep in mind that this an additional cost incurred on top of the purchase of the floor scale. You may have to hire a contractor to cut out the dimensions of the pit. The other option is to buy a ramp to put adjacent to the floor scale. This will also cost money and will take up more space than the pit-mounted scale.

Another type of floor scale that is less common is the hydraulic floor scale. These scales provide great protection from the harshest of conditions. While more expensive, Hydraulic scales offer great protection in messy environments that require impervious weighing solutions. A Hydraulic Floor Scale’s cost will vary depending on type (stainless steel or mild steel) and dimension, but generally hydraulic floor scales will fall in the range of $9,000 to $25,000. Hydraulic scales require a special certification to work on them, as they operate differently from electronic scales. This also contributes to the higher price tag.

FLOOR SCALE QUALITY CONSIDERATIONS

When purchasing a floor scale, it is very important that you look for quality rather than opting for a lower quality scale. In truth, lower quality floor scales will probably cost around $400-$800 and may seem like a bargain, but will probably not withstand the test of time and general wear-and-tear. Buying a floor scale from a non-reputable source may end up costing you more time and money in the long run. The cost of replacing or recalibrating these unreliable scales will ultimately equate to the cost of buying a higher-quality, more expensive scale, therefore cheap floor scales are not worth the risk. Also factor in the use of a remote display or scoreboard as well to help with convenience.

FLOOR SCALE LOAD CELLS

Floor scales typically have 4 load cells under a deck which is situated on top of the load cells. These cells can hold up to 10,000 lbs but typically hold between 1,000 to 5,000 lbs in weight. You can go analog or electronic load cells, scale calibration will be the same. The load cells will all run to a junction box that sums the individual load cell weights. The more weight capacity that the load cells hold, the more the floor scale will cost. An individual load cell used in a floor scale will typically cost around $200 to $700, depending on its weight capacity. Make sure you know how much capacity you need before purchasing a floor scale. A rule of thumb is that the net weight of all 4 load cell capacities divided in half is the capacity of the entire floor scale. So for example, if you have four 2,500 lb capacity load cells in your floor scale, that would be 10,000 lbs divided by 2, equaling a 5,000 lb floor scale capacity.

NTEP/ LEGAL FOR TRADE CONSIDERATIONS

Typically, if a scale is used in an exchange that involves buying, selling, or charging based on weight within the United States, it must be legal for trade certified. NTEP (National Type Evaluation Program), a non-profit corporation, will usually test and approve scales so that they can be considered “legal for trade”. Not all floor scales are NTEP certified so be aware of that. More reliable scale manufacturers such as Cardinal, B-Tek, Rice Lake, and Emery Winslow offer NTEP certified, legal for trade scales. It is important to understand how you will be using your floor scale; if it is being used to sell or buy something on the basis of weight then you must make sure you floor scale is legal for trade certified, which is typically done through NTEP certification. American Scale offers a wide array of NTEP certified floor scales.

CONCLUSION

As previously mentioned, there are other costs attached to buying a floor scale, as well as many different options of floor scales available for purchase. Make sure to do your due diligence so that you choose the floor scale that will best suite your weighing needs.

Closing Words

At American Scale we strive to bring you informed and useful content on all things scale related. Be sure to check out our legal for trade truck scale system articles about truck scale foundation or how much do truck scales cost. We even have a guide to warranties. We also have articles on scale accessories, common problems to prolong your scales lifespan, weighing applications as well as what scale indicator works best with your junction box. To learn more about bench scales, it would be good to check out our other articles such as “Bench Scale Basics'' andHow Much Does A Bench Scale Cost?”. These articles will help with the basics of bench scale ownership.