There are so many choices out there including a wide variety of scales to choose from. Buying a cheap scale can hide many hidden costs and problems for the average buyer with little knowledge of scales.
Why?
Firstly the cheap components :
1. Cheap parts, electronics and load cells
2. Inferior build quality
3. Lack of LOA by NRCS for electrical safety. A LEGAL requirement to protect you.
4. Zero Availability of spares and NO serviceability.
We've have been in the weighing industry for 50 years and we know what makes a good weighing product. Cheap grey imports and online trading sites have created a market to dump inferior products on the unsuspecting scale buyer/user.
Richter Scale has one of the largest lines of NRCS approved scales and weighing systems in Southern Africa. We would not be able to survive the ups and downs of the economy and ruining our reputation by selling cheap products that don't last.
Buying an industrial scale that will stand up to the rigours of the local market and operators requires careful and fully informed research.
A loadcell is the heart of any scale. Inferior metals, combined with un-tested and unstable strain gauges within these loadcells mean that these cannot perform consistently in various conditions, temperatures or even during simple repeatability testing by the untrained operator!
Untrained and unaccredited suppliers simply don’t have this knowledge or worse they don’t actually care that they are suppling a scale no matter how bad the quality is - some go out of accuracy within an hour as they have cheap components.
Scales that are dirt cheap are only so because they are using junk components and basic materials. Most are supplied un-calibrated or just in a basic box. How can you trust a scale or supplier with no traceability or pedigree?
This is massively important and required by LAW = electrical safety tests to protect your equipment and premises for electrical failure.
Your insurance company may request this information should your unit fail. Protect people and property by staying away from grey imports and import dumping practices of illegal and sometimes dangerous electronics.
It’s impossible to decide on the quality by simply viewing a digital picture or image. Without a proven track record and brand in the industry you are buying purely on price and not on anything else because you know nothing about the scale. Seeing the scale in person and a simple check of the steel content and build strength is an easy check to do yourself.
How can you further prevent making a poor choice?
Firstly - Stick to manufactures who have a proven track record supplying and manufacturing quality and supplying scales with spares and backup service - Such as Richter Scale Co. Half a century in weighing = successful products and backup.
Secondly - Looking for NRCS type approved for trade scales or NRCS LOA approval for others is the next step. If they don’t have at least one of these 2 NRCS quality marks, they are either dangerous and may cause electrical shock/failure or they don't pass the accuracy standards.
By buying a recognised name and brand, you will always be able to have service, repair and calibration of the machine and the assurance your purchase will have a longer service life.
Scales that are cheap grey imports or from online trading sites can’t be repaired or in some cases even calibrated!
These junk scales WILL cost you accuracy = lost time = lost money = lost profits.
A scale in most cases is the direct measure of the inputs and outputs of your business. SO WHY COMPROMISE? You will only be losing money and given product away.