Measuring instrument is a tool used to measure the value of an object. One type of measuring instrument commonly encountered by the public is a weight measuring instrument, which is often called a scale or balance.
To weigh something, of course we have to know what kind of scale needs to be used so that the measurement results are correct. These are the types of weight measuring instruments and their uses:
1. Common Scales
This type of scale is most often found in grocery shopping centers, such as markets or grocery stores. The way to use it is by placing the object to be measured on the scale. The scale or size of the sitting scale ranges from 1 kg to 500 kg. This scale has several weight capacities depending on its usage.
The form of a sitting scale is generally in the form of a box with a circular glass in which there is a scale and a pointer and the top is equipped with a container to store the material to be weighed.
A common scale with a maximum limit of 2 kg is used to weigh basic food such as rice, eggs, vegetables, meat and others. Scales with a limit of 20 kg are used to weigh food items too, but on a large scale.
While the scale with a capacity of up to 500 kg is usually used to weigh crops, plantations, animal husbandry or industrial needs.
Especially those with a maximum capacity of 500 kg usually have wheels underneath so that they can be moved easily as they are bigger and heavier.
2. Manual Scales
Manual scales are also commonly found in markets or grocery stores. You could say that this type of scale is one that has been used for a long time and many people still use it, especially in traditional markets.
However, manual scales are not as easy as using a sitting scale, because they require weights to measure them. The way to use this scale is by placing the object of the scale into the weighing container and then balancing it with the weights that are packaged with this scale.
The load usually present in the weight of 50 grams, 100 grams, 200 grams, 500 grams and 1000 grams (1 kg). Now the weighing task here is to look at the weighing arm whether it is balanced or not, if so, it can be determined that the weight is the same as the total weight of the load that was placed earlier.
3. Body Scales
These scales are often found in health centers such as clinics, hospitals, health centers or pharmacies. But sometimes it is also owned by ordinary people to control their weight.
As the name suggests, these scales are used to measure a person’s weight. We just need to stand on the scale and the needle will show the weight.
In general, the shape of this scale is a square with a scale on its upper side which is equipped with a weight scale. When standing on these scales, the needle will move and show weight.
For health purposes, these scales are placed with a height measuring device. When standing to measure the body, the health worker can also measure the height. There are also scales designed to weigh babies.
4. Ohaus Scales
The Ohaus balance is more commonly referred to as the Ohaus balance, in general it is also called the analytical balance. It is given this name, because this balance can measure the weight of an object with an accuracy of 0.01 grams and even up to 0.001 grams, depending on the brand of the scale.
These high-accuracy scales are widely used in laboratory or pharmaceutical environments, to measure substances or drugs on a small scale. This is because lab activities or drug compounding require accuracy in weighing ingredients prior to research / compounding.
This balance generally comes in 2 forms, namely digital and manual. Digital Ohaus balance displays the measurement results on a digital screen.
Meanwhile, the manual Ohaus balance is seen from the figures shown and it is necessary to do manual addition.
This manual Ohaus balance is in the form of a balance with 2 or 3 arms, each of which has a scale and a ring indicator. In short, the digital Ohaus balance is easier to use compared to the manual type.
5. Quartz Micro Scales
Just like Ohaus scales, quartz micro balances are also used in laboratory and science environments. This scale only has a measurement limit of 1 gram, but with very high accuracy, so it can measure very little gas weight.
With this accuracy it can even express the weight of an object in units of nanograms and micrograms. Seeing its ability to measure on a small scale, the price of this scale is also expensive and is only used for scientific and research purposes.
6. Hanging Scales
As the name implies, these scales are used by hanging the object to be weighed on a hook that has been connected to the scale.
This scale works using a spring, so when the hook is pulled down by the weight of the object, the spring will expand and can show the weight of the object. These scales are available in digital and manual form, where the digital form is more precise than the manual one.
7. Digital Scales
As previously explained, digital scales display measurement results on the display screen. At first glance, the form of this scale is similar to a digital Ohaus balance, it’s just that the digital scales referred here can be used conventionally.
This means that it can be used in daily activities such as weighing groceries, handicraft objects or other necessities. However, because it is more expensive, people sometimes prefer manual scales, such as sitting scales or frog scales.
This scale is more often found in medium to upper-scale businesses, such as coffee shops, to weigh coffee ingredients before brewing. In a laundry shop to weigh clothes or a cake shop to weigh the ingredients for making cakes.
Although this scale does not require high measurement accuracy, the ease of using digital scales is the reason for choosing this scale.
8. Hybrid Scales
It is called a hydrid scale because it combines several types of scales into 1 type of balance. Hybrid scales are a combination of a sitting scale (manual) and a digital scale.
At first glance, this scale is similar to the 500 kg seated scale which is equipped with wheels, but the material is more robust and modern. The measurement results are displayed digitally, namely through the display screen.
9. Weigh Bridge
The weighbridge is literally a measuring tool for weight, because it measures the weight of the vehicle passing on it.
The concept is that when a vehicle passes through this bridge, it will measure the weight of the vehicle with the measurement components on this bridge.
This bridge is widely used in large industries, such as the palm oil industry. When a truck crosses the bridge, the weight of the truck and the contents it accommodates will be calculated, so that the incoming production feed can be found. This bridge is not found randomly, its construction is difficult and requires high costs.