Not sure where to start? These eight questions will help you better understand what you should look for in a digital scale.
1. What capacity and accuracy will you need?
What are the lightest and heaviest items you will be weighing? How accurately do you need to weigh the item for price determination, as an ingredient or component, comparison, or transportation? Depending on your required accuracy, you may need to purchase separate digital scales to weigh your lighter and heavier items.
2. Will you be weighing and packing goods that are getting sold to a customer?
If the answer is yes, then a trade-approved digital scale is required. The Weights and Measures Act requires that when goods are offered for sale to a customer, with the sale price depending on the item's weight, a trade-approved scale must be used to determine the value of the sale. The Trading Standards approves trade; every trade-approved scale has a TMU approval number.
3. When weighing and packing, do you need a label placed on the sold item?
What do you want to be printed on the label, and does the label size matter? There is a range of label printing scales. Labels can be formatted to include all relevant information and designed to suit each situation. Some come with pre-printed sections ready for specific information like price, price per kilo and weight.
4. Will your digital scale be used for direct counter sales with the public?
If you are weighing goods in front of a customer at the time of purchase, then you are required to have a rear display on your scale so that both you and the customer can see the weight of the item. For retail outlets, trade-approved price computing scales allow you to weigh the item and input a price. Then the scale will calculate the individual sale amount. Digital scales can also be linked to a computer and/or a cash draw to provide a complete transaction record (including a tax invoice for the customer).
5. In what environment will the digital scale be working?
Not all digital scales are placed on a clean counter or bench and are kept away from moisture, dust, heat or harsh conditions; some have to work in harsh conditions. List all the factors which may impact the scale and discuss these with the sales assistant to ensure you receive the scale best suited for the job.
6. What power supply is needed to operate the digital scale?
Not all digital scales are placed in one location and remain there. If the scale is being moved from place to place, will it require battery and mains power, or will it be operated from a vehicle? What sort of battery power is best suited to its usage?
7. Does the digital scale need to be portable?
Some digital scales need to be transported regularly. Does the scale come with or require a carry case, and is it easy to set up once it has reached its destination? Always ask the sales assistant to demonstrate the scale features.
In some commercial or industrial situations, larger-scale equipment is moved with a forklift or mounted on a mobile platform or rear of a vehicle. We cater to these specialised installations and provide all relevant moving and operating instructions.
8. Do you need ancillary equipment?
In some situations, your digital scale will be linked to other equipment you use in transacting your business. For example, a computer, cash register and/or printer may be used for retail purposes. For commercial or industrial purposes, perhaps a remote display board, a driver control station, external devices (relays, triggers) or a computer management system.
If you are looking for a supplier of quality weighing equipment, even for the most demanding clients,
call us today for total weighing solutions. We can provide you with reliable products specially selected to complement our growing New Zealand market. Because at CAS (NZ) Ltd, we weigh the world.