Installing Crane Scales

Correctly installing crane scale and dynamometer systems takes some know-how. Unlike most material handling scales that remain stationary, improper installation of a crane scale or dynamometer could affect operator safety.
I’ve done some research and discovered that following a few guidelines will help you install these systems so they will operate safely and efficiently.

Following these guidelines should help you successfully install crane scale and dynamometer systems. Of course, our application specialists are always on hand to provide further assistance.

Improving ESD & RFI Resistance in IQ plus® Series Indicators

It’s a fact that electrostatic discharge (ESD) and radio frequency interference (RFI) can impede the performance of digital weight indicators. Keeping their presence to a minimum is the key to a successful weighing system.

We have improved our IQ plus series indicators’ resistance to ESD and RFI by changing from a 7-pin load cell connector to a 6-pin connection. With this adjustment, the shield wire is terminated to the metallic enclosure, greatly reducing ESD and RFI problems.

By terminating the shield wire to the enclosure, any spikes from electrostatic discharge are sent to the grounded indicator enclosure, preventing them
from reaching the board circuits and causing damage. It also eliminates excess shield wire in the enclosure box, which can act as an “antenna” for RFI and cause the indicator to drift from variations in current to the A/D.

Selecting the Proper Printer & Media for Your Labeling Application

The printer and data collection market offers countless opportunities for sales and service revenue. Choosing the proper type of printer, ribbon, label stock, and adhesive for your customers’ label printing application means the difference between a one-time customer and repeat business. In this column, we’ll talk about the primary elements to consider when choosing labeling equipment and accessories.

Direct thermal and thermal transfer printers are built to produce high quality labels in single quantities or large batches. Direct thermal printers offer the benefit of creating images without using a ribbon and need little maintenance. However, these labels have a shelf life of one year or less in applications that expose them to bright lights or high temperatures. Thermal transfer printers use a special ribbon that can print on many types of label stock to serve a wide range of applications.

Label stock falls into two basic categories: paper and synthetic. For direct thermal and thermal transfer printers, paper is the most common and economical choice. For applications where the label is exposed to abrasion, heat, ultraviolet light, chemicals and other destructive elements, synthetics such as polyester, vinyl and mylar are a better choice.

Thermal transfer ribbons come in wax-base, resin-base, or wax/resin, all of which work well with either paper or synthetic facestock. The economical wax-based ribbons are durable in most environments, but smear or scratch if subjected to abrasion or heat. Resin-based ribbons resist smudging and abrasion, and withstand temperatures in excess of 1000° F when matched with certain synthetic stocks. Wax/resin ribbons offer higher durability than wax-based at a lower cost than resin.

A wide variety of adhesives exist for all types of applications, from general purpose to specialty labeling. Permanent adhesives stay in place when exposed to temperature extremes, high humidity, and chemical immersion. Certain hard-to-label surfaces such as wood, recycled corrugated materials, refrigerated materials, and small, curved objects require special adhesives.

I hope these tips help you in choosing the right printer and media stock for your next labeling application. But if you’d like to learn more, our service school offers a course called DC444 that provides hands-on training for printer maintenance and integration, and it’s taught in both English and Spanish. Call Cathy at 715-234-9171, ext. 5185 for course content and scheduling information.

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A Few “Setpointers”
The configuration and function of setpoints is the most popular topic in our Service School, and rightly so. Setpoint capabilities will often determine whether your customer chooses one indicator over another. We'll go over some of the more common elements of a setpoint—kind, value, trip, batch, digout—in our IQ plus 710, 800 and 810 indicators. This simple routine demonstrates one way that a single-speed feeder might operate:

SP1—Setpoint 1 is designed to verify that the scale is within 1/2 lb of gross zero. This is most often executed as a fail-safe to make sure that the system is close to zero before a batch is started. It is also very common to perform this function after a wait for standstill (WSS) in an operation that auto-repeats. Another variation could, for instance, verify that the scale contained a specified amount of product before beginning (change TRIP & VALUE).

SP2—Setpoint 2 completes a TARE function after motion subsides. It is always important to start from a known zero when trying to add a specific amount of product.

SP3—The digital output assigned to this setpoint will be active (low) until a value of 50 has been added to the scale. This routine has a wide range of possibilities, but I hope these examples give you an understanding of the basic role setpoints play in batching.

This routine has a wide range of possibilities, but I hope these examples give you an understanding of the basic role setpoints play in batching.

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