Balance Features to Help Achieve Weighing Accuracy While Improving Productivity

While maximum load, readability, and price are important considerations, a balance’s features will often create additional value in your weighing process. When chosen carefully, these features will typically more than make up for any additional cost in improved accuracy, productivity and process security down the line.

A large, colour display used to be a differentiator but is now state-of-the-art. In addition to this important ergonomic consideration, evaluate the following 11 features and see which ones are important to your process and operators based on the impact that wrong results could have on your analyses and final products.

Internal adjustment: This feature assesses and adjusts for temperature variations and makes automatic sensitivity adjustments when ambient temperature exceeds preset tolerances.

Minimum weight warning: This programmable warning function ensures that your load reaches this critical point to ensure that you achieve measurement accuracy.

An easy-clean design: Balances that are easy to dismantle and drop into the dishwasher help to reduce the amount of time spent preparing for your next analysis, enhancing long-term productivity.

Short settling time: Fast, stable, accurate results improve your productivity as well.

Electrostatic detection: Warnings about this unseen force let operators adjust before weighing results are compromised.

Easy data handling: Features such as easy barcode-reading, printing, and data transfer via USB, RS232, or Bluetooth ensure fast access to results and let you quickly adjust for trends that impact quality.

Intuitive operation: Clear icons, programmable soft keys and onscreen guidance help to ensure that important process steps are maintained.

Routine test support: Simple, integrated test programs ensure that you do not weigh when your balance is not capable of producing accurate results.

Robust construction: Metal housing and overload protection can help to ensure accuracy and long life.

Touch-free operation: Sensors that enable hands-free operation of functions such as zero, tare or draft shield opening/closing can enhance speed and reduce cross-contamination risk.

Status indicator: An inbuilt warning lets you know if the balance is ready to weigh or which actions you need to take before use to ensure accuracy.

Mettler Toledo offers three lab-balance levels, each offering different combinations of features to meet different process needs. As noted, how much priority should be given to each of these helpful features will depend on your process risk, accuracy goals, and productivity concerns.

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