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Blog posts tagged with 'precision balances'

Is It Time to Replace Your Lab Balance | Adam Equipment | Greyhound Chromatography

Is It Time to Replace Your Lab Balance?

You love your lab balance – you’ve had it for years and you’ve come to rely on it to the point where it almost feels like an extension of your own hand. But how long is too long to use the same balance? How do you know when it’s time to replace it?

One of the most important ways to extend the life of your balance, of course, is to have it serviced by certified technicians on a regular basis. A technician can certainly make recommendations on whether it’s time to replace your device. Some of the questions you should consider are:

  • Does your balance need maintenance much more often than it used to?
  • Does your balance hold its calibration, or does it need to be recalibrated after just a few tasks?
  • Are its weighing results consistently unstable, with drift or unexplained jumps? Have the stability and repeatability become inaccurate?
  • Are there signs of corrosion in the pan or at access points like the communications interface?
  • Have your weighing needs changed, or do you need more advanced features such as updated communications interfaces, data storage or PLUs?

Answering yes to any of those questions does not necessarily mean your balance needs replacing. For example,  static electricity could cause drift or instability and an anti-static device such as an ioniser may remedy the issue. Vibration from nearby equipment could also be the culprit, in which case an anti-vibration may be what you need. For optimal performance, operate your balance away from vibrations,  excessive heat or moisture, direct sunlight, chemical vapors and drafts.

Diagnosing the Problem

If you’re experiencing problems with your balance, first try the troubleshooting tips included in the product manual. You may be pleasantly surprised to find a quick fix! A service technician can rule out many problems, such as warped load cells, malfunctioning internal calibration motors or even software issues.

User Manual    

If your balance requires more frequent maintenance or calibrations than it used to, you’ll have to consider lost productivity to downtime in addition to money spent on repairs or technicians.

If you’re seeing signs of corrosion, you’ll need to address possible causes of rust (often, excess moisture) before looking into cleaning it or replacing the balance just to have the same thing happen to the new unit.

Which Features Does My Balance Need?

Next, look at your current needs. Even if your balance is in working order, does it fulfill everything you need it to do? Consider the efficiencies that a newer device can bring to your laboratory operations.

Maybe you have an older balance that lacks the capability to communicate with a computer, USB flash drive or printer. Some of today’s balances even have multiple options like RS-232 and USB interfaces included on the same device, like Adam’s Equinox series. Can your balance format Good Laboratory Practice-compliant printouts? All Adam analytical balances and many Adam precision balances are capable of GLP-compliant output. When doing formulations, can your balance store ingredients like the Solis?

If you do decide the best course of action is to replace your balance, Adam Equipment can help you with tips to select a new one and guidance on which balance is right for you?

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Choosing the Right Adam Balance | Adam Equipment | Greyhound Chromatography

Choosing the right Adam lab balance

Adam Balances Logo Image

Lab balances are expensive investments for labs purchasing them. But with so many options available, it can be difficult to pick the instrument that best suits your needs. In this post, we’ll look at the deciding factors that can help you choose which weighing device to buy for your lab.

Does a higher price tag equal a better balance?

Not always. Brand can be a factor; some balances are very similar, but the branding will add some costs. The higher price can also be due to specific higher-end features such as Bluetooth connection or a statistics mode. These features might be unnecessary or not worth the price. Capacity and readability also affect the price tag; even within the same product range, the models with higher precision tend to be more expensive.

What are you weighing?

The first step of picking the right balance is to examine what you’ll be weighing, and what for. This will help determine capacity and readability. What will you be weighing most often? How much of it will you weigh? You should also consider the size of the samples. Make sure the balance’s weighing pan is large enough to accommodate them. Weighing larger items usually requires a higher capacity. Don’t forget that beakers or containers count as part of the total weight.

It might be tempting to buy the most precise balance available for your budget. Don’t. The more precise the balance, the more factors such as vibrations, static electricity or air currents affect it. If you don’t need a readability of 0.001mg, you’ll just make it more difficult for yourself to use the balance.

Adam Equipment Precision Balances

Precision Balances are better for field experiments or quality testing, since they tend to feature a higher capacity and sturdier construction. They’re quite precise but can still be moved around or used in less than ideal conditions.

To weigh very fine samples (for pharmaceutical applications, for example), analytical or semi-micro balances are the way to go. They’re meant to be used in a designated workspace in regulated environments. They’re acutely precise and extremely sensitive to the smallest changes. If you weigh fine powders, a draft shield can help prevent the sample from being affected by the environment.

All lab balances should feature high repeatability; being able to replicate an experiment and obtain the same results is paramount in science.

Adam Equipment Analytical Balances

Which features and functions are important in a lab balance?

Once you’ve figured out just how precise your balance should be, you can start considering what the balance should be able to do. You can separate them into essential features (absolutely needed to do your job) and non-essential yet convenient (for example, a high-resolution display).

A highly visible display is important, since you’ll spend a lot of time looking at and recording results. Even when balances are connected to computers and results are automatically transmitted, it’s important to clearly view results. It can also be useful to navigate through menus and databases. If the balance has a touchscreen, make sure you can still use it wearing latex gloves.

Balances feature a wide variety of functions, from counting to percentage weighing or statistics. Chemists might need a formulation function, whereas a quality control lab could want percentage weighing function.

Balance display zoom

GLP Printouts and formatting are essential. Make sure the balance will output the data you need for your lab’s records. Balances should also be able to connect to LIMS and other lab management systems, as well as transfer results to applications such as Excel.

Most modern lab instruments connect to computers and/or printers. Balances usually have a standard RS-232 connection. It might be worth paying extra for a USB slot if you use USB connectors or flash drives often. Some balances also offer wireless connection capabilities, but they’re usually more expensive.

The balance’s construction is important too. If you weigh certain chemicals, it might be necessary to have a balance with a weighing pan made of non-corrosive metal. A field balance should be very sturdy, and spill-resistant housing can be useful in busy labs where liquids are frequently weighed. Most importantly, a balance should be easy to clean. Some balance feature removable weighing pans to help during routine maintenance.

Which accessories do I need for my lab balance?

Accessories can improve a balance’s functionality or fulfill specific functions. Printers can be useful for record-keeping. Cables transfer information to other devices. Ionizers help reduce the impact of static electricity on your balance’s results. An anti-vibration table can be set up to create a dedicated workstation for your balance, and to help prevent vibrations from interfering with the balance’s operation. Use a carrying case to protect the balance during transportation.

Accessories

Desity Kits could be worth purchasing for engineering labs. Make sure you buy a kit that fits your balance. Some lab balances have security functions like a lock and cable slot, or password protection, which can be useful to prevent the balance from being moved or used by unauthorized users. Software like AdamDU simplify data collection and analysis.

What is internal calibration and does my balance need it?

Internal calibration is quite practical but more expensive. It’s usually quicker than external calibration, and some balances can even self-calibrate if they detect ambient changes. How often must you calibrate your balance? It could be worth paying extra for a speedier calibration process, or to perform automatic calibration outside of working hours, especially if the balance is exposed to varying conditions. If your lab has dedicated personnel and a calibration station, external calibration could work for you. Don’t forget that external calibration also requires a calibration kit. 

Calibration weights

Balances are important components of lab work, and we hope this guide will help you during the selection process. Feel free to browse our website to learn more about Adam Equipment’s lab range. Still unsure? Contact us and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have.

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How to Select the Right Laboratory Balance | Adam Equipment | Greyhound Chromatography

How to Select the Right Laboratory Balance

A balance is an integral component of lab work, and choosing the correct equipment is essential to obtaining efficient performance and accurate results. There are many considerations in selecting the right lab balance for the job.

When it’s time to purchase a new balance, the first step is to think about the types of applications to be performed. In addition to weighing, will you require your balance to include built-in functions such as checkweighing or formulation? Where will the balance be used – in a lab or in the field? Will you need to connect it to other equipment?

The second step is to determine the readability your balance will need. Readability is the smallest division a balance can display. Your application likely has a requirement for the level of precision in results. If you are weighing chemicals to the nearest 10mg (0.01g), a balance with readability of 0.001 is recommended.

Next, you’ll need to know the capacity required to complete daily tasks. Capacity is the maximum weight the balance can weigh. When calculating capacity, remember to include the weight of any containers you might use.

Highland Portable Precision Balance

Most balances are capable of weighing in different units. Certain applications require specific weighing units. For example, scientific laboratory applications typically require grams and milligrams, jewelry often requires carats. The fourth step is to make a note of the units of measure necessary for your task.

Step five is to determine the pan size. The weighing pan must be large enough to accommodate the items being weighed, along with the container that will be holding them during weighing. The balance location also can play a part in choosing a pan size; space restrictions might mean opting for a smaller platform.

Finally, you should also contemplate the need for additional features:

  • Do you have a preference for internal or external calibration?
  • Do you need to perform below-balance weighing?
  • Will you be weighing living, moving animals – is a dynamic weighing function important?
  • To collect and record data, would a USB or RS-232 connection help?
  • Does your balance need to calculate specific gravity? Some balances do this automatically.
  • Will you be working with or weighing any substances or items that might warrant consideration between all-metal or plastic housing?
  • Are there any workplace issues requiring lockdown capability for your device?

Solis & Equinox Balances

Choosing the right balance is an investment; the right tool for the job can improve efficiency, reduce waste, and even same money on the long run. Buying the wrong balance mean sacrificing precision and accuracy; it can be a costly mistake. Still not sure which balance is right for you? You can also contact Sales by email sales@greyhoundchrom.com  or by phone +44 (0) 151 649 4000 to discuss your requirements. 

Download your Laboratory Balances Buying Guide here.

 

CONTACT US  

Tel:        +44 (0) 151 649 4000  

Web:     www.greyhoundchrom.com  

Email:   marketing@greyhoundchrom.com  

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YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN OUR NEWSLETTER  

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