Crane scales, or hanging scales, are not your typical weighing scales. The load is suspended, sometimes using the crane’s hook, rather than the load being weighed on a platform. The scale can also hang from machinery or similar apparatus.
What are Industrial Hanging and Crane Scales?
Industrial hanging and crane scales are used for weighing a hanging load. Sometimes it is not practical to weigh heavy or bulky loads on floor scales. This is where crane weighing scales can be used. These scales come in a variety of models and weighing capacities. They can weigh a non-standard, oversized load under industrial conditions in a more practical manner.
Applications of Crane Scales and Hanging Scales
- Farmers can use a hanging scale for measuring feed bags. They can verify each bag meets a predetermined weight.
- Hanging scales can be used for weighing mailbags in post offices before distribution. This allows the workers to pack the mail appropriately and ensure that the bags are not too heavy to carry.
- In the fishing industry hanging scales are used on boats for check-weighing fish for processing or used to weigh fish at markets.
- Airports can use crane scales to check the weight of the baggage to make sure it is under the required weight limits.
- Crane scales can be used to weigh extremely heavy items such as large boats, finished concrete elements, bundles of coils and large machinery.
- Foundries may use crane scales for weighing additives for molten materials.
Hanging Scales vs Crane Scales
The main difference between crane scales and hanging scales is based on two factors: the capacity of the scale and amount you will spend on the scale.
Hanging scales are used for lighter weighing tasks and tend to be more cost-effective.
Crane scales are equipped to deal with large industrial weighing applications, have much higher capacities, and will be more costly.
Types of Crane Scales
No two industries or situations will be the same, even if they use the same crane scale for their weighing activities. There are different types of digital weighing crane scales available today, which include:
- Electronic Crane Scales: Electronic crane scales available today come with electronic displays like those found on street lights and pocket calculators. Common features of these scales include precise design, excellent readability and tremendous durability. The capacity of these scales range from 300 kg all the way up to 30 tons. The resolutions available are 100 g, 200 g, 500 g, 1 kg, 2 kg and 5 kg. There are generally two options available for the load cell – Shear beam and S Type, and these crane scales comply with OIML class III specifications. Industrial keypads, aluminum castings for the body and a removable hook made of alloy steel are some of the additional features available.
- Digital Crane Scales: The features of digital crane scales generally include a high capacity, easy-to-use design and sturdy structure. Digital crane scales start at a capacity of 50 kg and go up to 100 metric tons. Resolutions start as low as 5 g and go up to 20 kg, with color-coded displays for enhanced visibility. Most popular digital crane scales feature a body that has been coated with heavy duty powder coating and OIML class III accuracy for harsher environment operations. Optional high-temperature shields are also available. Along with the basic features, many digital crane scales come with gravity acceleration technology, which allows the crane to be used anywhere in the world.
- Heavy Duty Crane Scales: For heavy operations, the use of a specially-designed crane scale is recommended. The features of heavy duty crane scales generally include rugged construction, convenient installation and optimum utilization of space. These crane scales are normally built using the maximum hook approach, make optimum use of available space and feature low load structures in the design. Heavy duty crane scales are normally available in two distinct variants- single and double girder cranes. The single girder crane scale has a capacity of 1 ton to 20 tons, while the double girder crane scale start at 1 ton and goes all the way up to 150 tons for heavier applications.
- MSI Crane Scales: Medium and heavy duty cranes are available from MSI, some of which feature the best of modern weighing technology. Designed with large LED and LCD displays that allow for long range viewing and ten thousand divisions of resolutions, MSI cranes scales increase productivity by bringing the latest in weighing equipment to industrial applications. Most MSI crane scales have capacities between 250 lbs and 15000 lbs and comply with all safety regulations – OSHA, ANSI and ASME. They are perfect for foundry and material handling industries. Some MSI crane scale models are designed for operations that require greater system control, with RF weight indicators and extremely large displays. Others feature marine grade alloy, which makes them very useful for the fishing industry and marine operations. These are normally waterproof.
Other models feature high torque load train system with fixed hook technology for use with power rotating load blocks. Some models include features like remote operations and data logging. Contact Quality Scales Unlimited for more details on different types of digital weighing crane scales.
