Steps for Choosing a Crane Scale

 

Choosing a Crane Weighing Scale (Also called Digital Crane Weighing Machines) can be a tedious task. For one, It is a heavy-duty commercial scale that has to lift Large and oversized loads. Additionally, It is hoisted up in the air, below a crane. So seeing the readout is another task. Also, remember that it is usually used in an outdoor environment. So It should be weather resistant. Now you get the picture. From my experience, I am listing down the top 10 considerations to select a Crane Scale as per your need.

1. Should have a Metallic Casing

It is very heavy equipment and I have seen cases in construction and Engineering companies where the crane scale falls more than 20 feet during the loading or unloading of goods. Hence you always have to make sure that it is made of a heavy-duty Metallic Body. Additionally, it is always preferable to get the crane scale of Rust Resistant Material like Aluminum, Steel, or Powder-coated body. Strictly avoid non-treated Metal Body as the Crane Scale will tend to rust very fast. Also, make sure that it is fully covered at the top as there are chances that in the monsoons water may seep into the Crane Weighing Machine and spoil the digital circuit.

2. Should show accurate weight while hoisting and coming down

A Crane Weighing Machine has to be hoisted and unhoisted. That’s its life. It is safest on the crane where it is designed to be. However, there would be instances when there is a load on the crane weighing scale while you are hosting it (in the Iron and Steel Industry) or when you are lowering the crane down (as in the construction industry). In both these conditions, the crane weighing machine has to show you the accurate weight. Mind you that when it is being hoisted or lowered into position, there may be vibrations in the scale. However, the digital Crane Weighing Machine has to hold its weight steady.

3. Should have a Remote control and a TARE/ZERO Button

Remember that an Electronic Crane Weighing Scale spends most of its life below the crane, suspended in the air. In such cases, it becomes imperative that you would sometimes need to TARE your Electronic Crane Scale for optimal results. (What is Taring can be found out on this link What is the TARE button? – Hindustan Scale). Hence make sure that your purchase comes with a good quality remote control. And the remote control should be able to TARE/ZERO the weighing scale. We at HSCo can also link your Crane scale to your mobile phone making sure that you don’t need a remote control for your Electronic Crane Scale. Just download our application and you would be good to control your Digital Crane Scale.

4. Should be Approved by the Legal Metrology Department of India

It is a commercial weighing Scale, it is accompanied by a Weights and Measures Stamping Certificate (If you want to know what is Government Stamping? Click on this link What Is Government Stamping And Why Is It So Important? – HSCo (hindustanscale.com). Make sure that the vendor gives you an original certificate and the weighing scale has a Legal Metrology Stamp seal on it. Without checking this – DO NOT BUY THE CRANE SCALE!

5. Should carry at least a 1-year warranty

As you would know, It is used in an extremely Harsh Environment. My experience is that it is one of the most abused weighing scales that we manufacture. Some customers had left their HSCo Crane Scales suspended on their cranes at the Start of the Corona Virus Pandemic Lockdown on the 22nd of March 2020, and started working on them after January 2021. So you get the idea. Make sure that it has a one-year warranty against all manufacturing defects. It comes in handy. This way the vendor is not incentivized to sell you cheap Imported Crane Scales that are substandard and not worth the price that you pay for it.

6. Should have a Jumbo Display

It is suspended high above the operator (sometimes as much as 100 feet in the air). How do you expect to see the reading of the crane scale from that distance? Hence the Digital Crane Scale has to have big and bright numbers so that it’s easily visible. Also, it should have in very good contrast with the surrounding to make it all the more visible. At HSCo we make crane scales with remote displays and Bluetooth displays so that you don’t have to use a binocular to view the readout of your Digital Crane Scale.

7. Should have an extra rechargeable battery having a battery life of at least 30 hours

It is an extremely important piece of machinery for your company. Its downtime means loss of valuable revenue for your business. Though a crane scale works on a battery, you cannot wait for the battery to recharge and then start using the Crane scale again. Rather, you need an additional battery that is provided by the manufacturer so that it is negligible downtime for the business. Make sure it is accompanied by an extra Battery supplied by the manufacturers, and the life of the battery is more than 30 hours of continuous use. However, in the case of certain applications, you would require a battery that lasts for more than 30 hours. We at HSCo have developed crane scales that have a running time of 240 hours on a single charge and have a standby time of more than 600 hours.

8. DO NOT buy from a reseller. Buy from a manufacturer. Insist on a warranty card & a bill

It is a business-critical piece of equipment that can grind your business to a standstill when it’s not working. What I have generally seen with resellers is that they do not have the expertise to repair. They invariably get it to the manufacturer to get it services or repair, and that means loss of valuable time for your business. Hence my recommendation is to buy it from a manufacturer who has the technical know-how to service or repair your digital Crane Scale. 

9. Spare Parts of Crane Scale

Spare Parts of a Digital Crane scale are extremely important because you cannot predict when your Crane Scale will require servicing/repairing. Make sure that you do not buy a unique or customized Crane Scale that is one of a kind though it would be good to have such a Crane Scale. However, stick to the basics and buy a standard one. At HSCo, we have a variety of Crane Scales but we always make sure that we have the spare parts of all the models that we have made for customers even five years previously. Also when we customize a Crane Scale, we make sure that the customer will get the spares from us.

10. Water Resistant Electronic Components

A Crane Scale will be used in hostile environments. And one of the most hostile environments is the monsoons. Water and Electronic Circuits don’t go well together. So choose a Crane scale that has a water-resistant Motherboard and other electronic circuits that will last the 100% humidity in the Monsoons. Though this does not seem much while purchasing the scale, it will mean a great deal when you have a mission-critical job during monsoons.