Digital load cells date back to the late 1990s. The features of digital load cells have been attractive since their inception but as with anything new in a very old industry, they took a while to catch on. With every industry becoming more focused on technology and automation, the development of digital technology over the past ten years has put this equipment in a class of its own. Consider other electronics which have developed over the past ten years, your home alarm system, HDTV, and your wireless stereo just to name a few. The intuitive operation of digital load cells is no different.
Scale companies and end users alike have proven if you want minimal downtime and extremely low cost of ownership, digital load cells are the way to go.
So what are the top reasons to request digital load cells?
1. Real Time Alerts:
Automated, preventative maintenance service alerts can notify you before a problem occurs or when there is a current issue. Best practices and suggested fixes are provided to arm you with the information needed to fix a current problem or avoid a catastrophic failure. It also allows your scale service company to arrive on-site prepared with any parts needed since based on the alerts they will have that data ahead of time.
2. Calibration Storage:
The indicator and load cells both house all calibration data, this makes components interchangeable and easily replaceable while eliminating the need for re-calibration after service. This allows for load cells or indicators to be swapped out in case of failure without requiring a scale company test truck immediately. This saves you time and money.
3. Superior Construction:
Hermetically sealed (IP68/69K) stainless steel construction protects your electronics through harsh environmental conditions and against water ingress. This protection is included in the stainless steel sheathed cabling as well.
4. Temperature Compensation:
Internal temperature monitoring adjusts to compensate for extreme heat or extreme cold. Digital load cells won’t fail due to external temperatures. They will also record the temperature reading and provide that data for scale users for predictive analysis.
5. Lightning Protection:
Guaranteed protection with components specifically designed to survive lightning strikes and protect against surge. Bottom-line digital load cells hold up much better to a lightning strike compared to analog load cells.
6. Industry Leading Warranties:
Depending on the exact scale manufacturer, they all offer at least standard 5 year warranties which generally include labor, travel and on-site time. This compares to analog load cell warranties which are often times only 1-2 years.
Bottom-line, digital load cells are the future. They provide increased data, superior reliability, and longer life.
