How Do Dual Counting Scales Work?

The best counting scales will instantly count multiple items, accurately. When it comes to counting small identical items, the smaller the capacity of the counting scale, the finer the readability and the better the scale will be at determining individual piece weight.

But there’s the problem – the finer the readability, the lower the capacity. What if you want to count those small items in much greater numbers?

That’s where dual counting scales come in, and in this blog post, we’ll look at how dual counting scales work, the benefits of using them, and what they can be used for.

What is a dual counting scale?

A dual counting scale differs from a standard counting scale in that it can be connected to a second base. The counting scale itself is used to determine a piece weight, like any counting scale – but once piece weight is determined, items can be counted in bulk using a second, higher capacity base.

For example – you may want to count identical screws in their hundreds, or even thousands. A low capacity counting scale will give you the accuracy to do this – but the quantities you can count in one go will be limited by the capacity of the scale.

However, connect your dual counting scale to a second base with a higher capacity, and your quick and easy parts counting processes are no longer restricted.

What are the benefits of a dual counting scale?

The benefit of a standard counting scale is that it can count multiple items in an instant – a job that can be time-consuming by hand, and prone to human error.

To better illustrate the true benefit of using a dual counting scale, it’s worth looking at what you’d need to do if you needed to count in bulk but didn’t have a dual counting scale.

Let’s imagine that you need to count out 3000 bolts for a customer’s shipment. Your counting scale determines the piece weight accurately – but unfortunately the capacity of the counting scale is only 3kg – nowhere near enough to count out the entire shipment of bolts in one sitting.

Instead, you’d need to count as many bolts out as the capacity of the scale will allow, and then add all those totals together until you have your 3000.

Taking that to the next level – image you need to count how many cardboard boxes there are on a palletised shipment. You’d never get a pallet onto a typical bench counting scale. But if you have your dual counting scale connected to a second base – large enough to weigh a pallet – you can determine the weight of a single cardboard box with high accuracy using the counting scale, and then count a pallet’s worth of them on the second base.

How to use a dual counting scale

Let’s take a look at the process of using a dual counting scale.

1. Remove pallet weight

With your dual counting scale connected to a second base, you will need to begin by using the Tare function. If you are weighing multiple identical items on a pallet, for example, you’ll need to deduct the weight of the pallet from the scale’s display. This is carried out by simply adding the empty pallet to the second base, and pressing Tare.

2. Determine piece weight

You then need to determine the individual weight of the items you are counting. The scale will use piece weight to calculate quantity, simply by dividing the total weight by the piece weight.

Different counting scales may have slightly different processes, but generally, depending on the size of your items, you’ll add five to ten units to the scale’s pan and press ‘Sample’.

3. Count your items!

You can now begin counting! Ensure the weight displayed on your scale is the weight being added to the second base, and add your pallet of items. The scale should almost instantly display a total quantity!

Our best dual counting scale

There are a number of dual counting scales available from Inscale. We’ve listed our most popular model below:

Adam CDT Dual Counting Scale

The Adam CDT range is a professional parts counting scale thats offers precision counting alongside superb value for money. Features include RS-232 and USB output for fast data collection, a 100-item memory and an internal battery for use when a power source is not available. 

If you need help with choosing from our range of counting scales, speak to our team and Get In Touch with us.