A lot of times we don’t spend much time choosing a digital weight indicator for our scale system. And, most of the time it’s fine and it works out well. But, a lot of times a little extra thought up front could make the difference between an ok scale system and a great scale system.
A digital scale indicator is the actual display that you see connected to a scale platform. They are called all kinds of names like scale meters or scale displays. However, most of the time folks call them digital weight indicators.
These weight indicators come in all different colors and shapes and sizes. For example, many of the entry level scale systems that you see on the market today have some version of the LP7510 weighing indicator attached to them. Likewise, you also see the Transcell TI-500E used as an entry level weight indicator as well.
In many cases the Rice Lake indicators such as the 480 or the 680 series are more advanced instruments that are often used in industrial settings where longevity is more sought after. And, obviously the 920i, 682 and other more advanced instruments are utilized for truck scales and more advanced weighing systems that require programming.
That is one point worth mentioning when you’re discussing scale indicators and that’s features and options. Basically, the more bells and whistles that you want tied to your scale system, the more important it is going to be for you to work with a local scale company near your location.
Most basic scale systems require very little programming. For example, a basic floor scale system for a scrap yard only requires the scale indicator to be programmed correctly for 5000 pound capacity and 1 pound readability. You place the known weight on the scale and that’s it. Conversely, a batching system connected to a computer with relays etc… is not something to order online. You need to work with your local dealer for something like that in our opinion.
There are lots of options when it comes to a weight indicator. We’ll list a few below to consider.
Indicator Enclosure (Stainless Steel, Painted Steel, Plastic)
Scale indicators typically are available with either a stainless steel enclosure or a plastic enclosure. The stainless steel enclosure is normally a more durable choice and in fact certain SS choices with high IP ratings can be used in washdown settings. A plastic weight indicator is normally something you might see on a 5×5 floor scale in the shipping warehouse.
Scale Enclosure Ratings (IP65, IP66, IP67, IP68, IP69K)
If you plan on using your scale indoors in a warehouse type setting then you probably don’t need to worry too much about the enclosure. However, if you plan on using your scale outdoors in the elements or you plan on washing your scale down everyday, you need to look for a IP69K rated scale.
Scale Display (Red/Green LED, Gray LCD with Backlight)
The actual number display on scale readouts has changed some over the past few years. In the past you essentially had a couple of choices… either LED with yellow or red digits or you could choose a gray LCD display with a backlight that would come on when there was motion on the scale. But fast forward to today’s weight indicators and you now have the ability to add color to your weight display! This can be great for things like checkweighing with under / ACCEPT / over weighing. You can assign a color to match each of those values. Check out the Ohaus i-DT33XW weight indicator for more.
Scale Power (110VAC only, 110VAC with rechargeable battery)
A lot of scale indicators just use regular 110VAC power. You simply plug the scale into your standard wall outlet and you’re done. However, these days a lot of customers want the flexibility of battery power as well. Some examples of these choices include the AC powered TI-500E and the AC/Battery Rice Lake 380 Synergy indicator.
Features (Weigh only, CheckWeighing, Parts Counting, Truck In/Out, Livestock or Animal weighing)
Not too long ago we had a customer contact us about parts counting. They thought every floor scale out there in the market offers parts counting capability. We had to tell them, no, that is a feature that only a few weight indicators offer. Now, we actually recommend a counting scale for parts counting but if you’re counting large bolts then you could use a floor scale for counting. If you’re looking for a weight indicator that offers parts counting, the Pennsylvania 7600+ is a good start.
Truck Scale Digital Weight Indicators
We don’t specialize in truck scale indicators on this site but we do offer a few. Basically what sets an indicator apart and makes it worthy of being used on a truck scale is the ID function for truck storage. Most customers with truck scales like to use weight indicators that feature at least two serial ports and have at least 25 ID’s for truck storage. So for this category we like the Cardinal 210 along with the Pennsylvania 7600E indicator.
Livestock Weight Indicator Choices
The livestock indicator choices are a little more diverse that the truck scale variety. Most of these scale readouts feature some type of hold function or filtering function to try and make it easier to weigh animals who are moving around on the scale platform. A few of the top choices include the Rice Lake 480+ and the Transcell TI500SL to name a few.