Weighing is not such a simple theme/process as it may seem at first sight. In reality, there is much technology, mechanics and a lot of concepts involved in the weighing equipment available on the market. Scales no longer serve the sole purpose of checking a product’s weight. All of them have their own diverse characteristics, which – let’s be honest here – not always are easy to get in the moment. And all scales also have different functions that can be very useful, but whose goals are not always clear.
Meaning that, sometimes, there may be questions when it’s time to choose the ideal scale for your business. In your quest for the best weighing equipment, you’ve probably wondered: “Afterall, what do the scales’ reach and division really indicate? What’s the tare”, among many other questions.
So, either to remind yourself about some of these weighing-related concepts or to get to know a few more, take a look at our list:
Reach
The scale’s reach indicates the maximum weight it can measure. By placing an article with more weight than the one the scale can reach, you may be both compromising the result you’ll get as well as the load cell. As such, when it’s time to choose your weighing equipment, you should take into account the weight of the products you intend to weigh.
Division
Division concerns the way your scale measures the weight. If your weighing equipment has a 10 grams’ division, it means that it measures the weight every 10 grams. Now, this is also a factor to consider when you are choosing your scale. Depending on the products you want to weigh, you may benefit from a scale with a higher or lower precision. Imagine, for example, you want to weigh small items, in which every gram counts: in that case, you need a scale with more precision.
Gross weight
When we talk about gross weight, we are talking about the total weight of the object on the scale’s plate. It includes the weight of the article as well as the weight of the packaging that may be wrapping it.
Tare
Tare is a common word when talk about metrology. According to the dictionary, in this context, it refers to the weight of an empty package, without the product it may contain. Possible to be memorized on some scales, this information is important to determine the exact weight of your articles without the extra weight of the packaging.
Net weight
Net weight is the result of the gross weight minus the tare, that is, it refers only to the product’s weight itself, without the package. That’s a data that can be very useful mainly on commercial weighing, where the client wants to pay for the part of the product that will actually be used.
