6 Key Features to Look for in a Heavy-Duty Platform Scale
If you’re in the market for a heavy-duty platform scale, you’re going to find yourself with an abundance of options to choose from. This can make it difficult to find the right scale for your needs. In this blog, we’ll discuss six key features you’ll want to search for.
What is a Heavy-Duty Platform Scale?
Platform scales are weighing scales with a large weighing platform and an independent indicator (not permanently attached) that’s typically used on the ground, instead of a benchtop. Platform scales can technically be any size to get that definition, but for the sake of this blog, we’ll consider heavy-duty platform scales as those that can handle weighing large, heavy items like pallets and crates.
1. High Capacity
You need a platform scale that can handle the items you’re weighing, so you need to choose one with the right capacity. Inscale offers platform scales with capacities as high as 6 Tonnes (Kern’s BFB). That’s a realistic weight for an adult male elephant, for reference. You should aim to select a heavy-duty platform scale with a capacity that’s at least 25% higher than the heaviest items you’re planning to weigh. This helps accommodate for unexpected extra weights, like pallets, crates or hand trucks to reduce the risk of overloads.
2. Durable Construction
For most heavy-duty platform scales, ABS-plastic construction isn’t going to cut it. We recommend a platform scale with either a stainless or regular steel weighing platform to prevent it from bending out of place when weight is added. Under-pan support is important as well. Adam Equipment’s PT platform series is manufactured with thick 8mm channel tube and full welded joins, which is unique in the market.
Kern’s NFN and NFB platform scales offer a different type of durability – an IP rating! This means that they can operate in damp, musty, greasy, wet and dirty conditions without breaking a sweat. Then, you can rinse them off or hose them down without fear of harming any internal mechs.
3. Heavy-Duty Platform Scales Need a Large Weighing Surface
When you’re weighing large and heavy items, it’s always best that the item fits entirely within the confines of the weighing platform. If the item sticks out too much, it could cause uneven weight distribution on the load cells, leading to inconsistent and inaccurate weighing results.
Inscale offers heavy-duty platform scales in a variety of sizes, from 400x500mm all the way up to 1500x1500mm. Of course, the right size weighing platform depends on the types of items you typically weigh. If you frequently weigh pallets of products, you might consider a platform scale at least 1200x1200mm, as most European pallets are 1200x800mm, fitting perfectly within limits.
Some of the items you may weigh regularly could be genuinely too large or oddly shaped to fit on a typical platform scale. In those cases, we recommend either Adam Equipment’s AELP Pallet Beams. They can spread up to 5m apart, or a hanging scale like the LHS.
4. Textured Platform Surface
If you work in an environment that handles grime and grit like dust or grease, grip is your best friend. Platform scales such as Kern’s BID range or Adam Equipment’s PT Platforms feature chequered-plate surfaces. This helps prevent your items from slipping and sliding as you're loading them on and off the scale. The PT’s ramp accessories are also textured, so your hand truck can move boxes on and off more easily.
Unless a smooth glide is what you’re looking for, of course! Kern offers a roller conveyor accessory for some of their platform scales up to 650x500mm in size. This can make it much easier to load and unload bulky items quickly, with momentum on your side!
5. Heavy-Duty Platform Scales Need the Right Indicator
Many heavy-duty platform scales come with an indicator included with your purchase as a combo deal. Adam Equipment, for example, offers the PT Platform as a package deal with either the GK-S, GK-Plus or GC indicator. They do this so that you can make an informed choice about what type of weighing you might be doing regularly.
The GK-Plus is a checkweighing indicator. It's designed to make frequent checkweighing tasks easier with a full numeric keypad for entering limits and a colour-changing backlight. Meanwhile, the GC indicator is best for counting tasks. It offers a large display for showing total weight, unit weight and parts count at the same time. Finally, the GK-S is the best for regular, everyday weighing. Though, it does offer parts counting and checkweighing applications for occasional use.
Even more, they’re interchangeable. If you have a PT with a GK-S, you can decide to purchase a GK-Plus indicator by itself to use with the platform later!
6. Handles & Wheels
Heavy-duty platform scales are defined by their large size. They can be inconvenient to move and they’re often stuck right where you’ve set them up. This is fine if you have the room to spare, but sometimes where it’s at now just isn’t the right place for it all the time. If that’s the case for you, you would do best to look for a platform scale that offers convenient features like handles and wheels to make transport easier. Adam Equipment’s PTM is one such range and the AELP Pallet Beams another!
Though if the ability to transport your scale is of significant importance to you, you may want to consider the PTT Pallet Jack Scale. You can weigh your pallets and transport them simultaneously. The weighing indicator also boasts a built-in label printer. You can add a label with the weight value, along with any bar codes or QR codes you may need.
Need help deciding the best heavy-duty platform scale for you, with:
- a high capacity
- durable costruction
- large weighing surface
- textured platform
- the right indicator
- and handles or wheels?
Contact the Inscale team, we’ll be happy to help.
Leave a comment