Floor scales – find manufacturers and suppliers

Floor scales - for weighing heavy goods

Floor scales are used in industry, warehousing and agriculture as well as in the trades and anywhere else where heavy loads have to be weighed. These robust scales often have a large weighing range. They are offered as weighbridges, drive-through scales, pallet scales or mobile floor scales. To make it easier to drive heavy loads onto the scales, they are often designed as floor scales with a ramp. Another way to make the floor scale barrier-free is to embed it in the floor. This requires special frames, which are sold as accessories for the scales suitable for this purpose. If a calibrated scale is required for the intended use, care must be taken when purchasing it to ensure that it is legal for trade.

The floor scale as a weighing bridge Weighing bridges

are offered in different sizes and with different weighing ranges. Special forms are floor scales with a hinged weighing plate or a weighing plate made of non-slip checker plate. The weighing range can be up to 3,000 kg. The display unit of the floor scale is either mounted on a wall or on a tripod.

The floor scale as a drive-through scale

These floor scales are equipped with both a drive-on and a drive-off ramp. They are also available in various sizes with different weighing ranges. They are made of sheet steel or stainless steel, often with anti-slip ribbing. Drive-through scales make the work process much more streamlined because they can be easily accessed with pallet trucks or similar material handling equipment.

Mobile versions

If the floor scale is not too large and heavy, it can be fitted with castors and used as a mobile unit. However, weighing beams are often used for this purpose, as they are more flexible. The variable positioning of the individual weigh beams makes them suitable for weighing goods of different sizes. They are also usually lighter than conventional floor scales and can be powered by a rechargeable battery.

Calibrated models

Calibrated scales must be fixed to the floor. This can be done by a ramp, foot plates or a pit frame. This fixation is necessary because the earth's gravity, and therefore the measured weight, varies slightly from place to place. However, the earth's gravity affects the electronic scales. Therefore, verification is only valid for a specific location. Verification is an official test of the scales. It confirms that the accuracy of the floor scale is within the tolerance limits for the respective accuracy class. The verification is documented by the verification mark. It is valid for two years, or only one year in the case of checkweighers.

Such verification is required if:

• the price of the goods depends on the weighing result
• Prepackages are produced
• official weighing is involved.

Useful accessories for floor scales

• The ramp is one of the most popular accessories, because it drastically simplifies the work with a floor scale that is not sunk into the floor.
  
  
• If they are not included in the scope of delivery of the floor scale, stands or wall brackets for display unit are extremely useful investments. This makes it much easier to read the weighing result.
  
  
• Whether or not a protective cover is required for the indicator depends on the location where the floor scale is used. The protective cover protects against dust and splash water.
  
  
• Special displays that show the weighing result enlarged can also be very useful depending on the working environment.
  
  
• Signal lamps, which signal the successful completion of a weighing, allow a control even from a greater distance.
  
  
• If the weighing bridge is to be sunk into the ground for barrier-free use, a suitable pit frame is required for safe installation.
  
  
• A weighing bridge standing on the floor can be fixed by foot plates.
  
  
• Batteries and suitable charging devices are available for mobile floor scales.
  
  
• Various data interfaces are offered for integrating the scale into a network or for connecting it to a computer, laptop or printer. The manufacturer must be consulted to determine whether the desired data interface can be retrofitted to the scale in question.

Which accessories are actually offered for the respective scale varies from manufacturer to manufacturer.