Installing and operating your balance for reliable weighing results
This article explains how you can install and operate a balance to get reliable weighing results. The balance, a high-resolution device for weighing smaller powder quantities, is often used in the laboratory for quality assurance testing, but can also be used on the production floor for batching formulation and similar applications. For information on selecting a balance, see the author's previous article "How to choose a balance for weighing small powder quantities" in Powder and Bulk Engineering's January 2003 issue.
Once you've selected a balance for your application, you need to install and operate it properly to achieve reliable weighing results. Even though most balances are considered "out of the box" items, there's more to correctly installing and operating one than you might think. Because a balance is a precision weighing instrument, you must understand the factors that can influence its results. As the old computer adage goes, "Garbage in, garbage out." With precision weighing equipment, something similar is just as true: "Careless use, careless results."