Top 6 Questions You Should Ask When Buying a Lab Balance
1. What is the heaviest sample you will weigh (including container weight) and what is the lightest sample?
2. What is the required +/- tolerance of your lightest sample?
3. How many decimal places in grams do you require for the displayed weight?
4. What type of samples will you be weighing and do you need to take into consideration the size of the weighing surface or the securing of a tare container?
5. Is on-site service available from a factory-trained service technician?
6. Do you need to interface the balance to another device such as a computer, printer, bar code reader, etc.?
Number of balances used in respondents’ labs, based on our most recent balances survey:
| 1 | 13% |
| 2 | 23% |
| 3 | 18% |
| 4 | 12% |
| 5 or more | 39% |
Types of balances respondents use in their labs:
| Analytical balance | 38% |
| Microbalance | 8% |
| Portable balance | 8% |
| Precision balance | 23% |
| Top-loading balance | 23% |
| Other | 1% |
Primary purpose for balances in the lab:
| Research | 42% |
| Quality control | 29% |
| Production | 13% |
| Clinical | 7% |
| Other | 10% |
Balance components respondents are using in their labs:
| Moisture analyzer | 11% |
| Vibration isolation table | 15% |
| Balance enclosure | 19% |
| Balance printer | 10% |
| Calibration weights | 42% |
| Other | 2% |
Factors/features that influence our reader’s decision-making process the most when they are buying a balance:
| Reliability | 98% |
| Durability | 94% |
| Low maintenance | 90% |
| High precision | 88% |
| Price | 87% |
| Easy cleaning | 82% |
| Reputation | 81% |
| Past experience | 78% |
| Auto calibration | 72% |
| Sealed control panel | 57% |
| Currently using | 55% |
| Recommendation | 51% |
| Large display | 34% |
| Communication port | 33% |
Recently Released Lab Balances
NewClassic MS105 Convertible Balance
• Converts easily from a laboratory balance with 0.01 mg readability into a stand-alone pipette check-station
• An evaporation trap is the only external device needed if the pipetting volume is smaller than 50 μ g
• Trap keeps humidity levels stable during the check and thus minimizes evaporation for accurate testing
Mettler Toledo
www.mt.com
Symmetry® MB Moisture Determination Balances
• Feature an automatic test setting to run multiple tests quickly
• An internal memory bank stores a range of test procedures that can be recalled at the touch of a button
• Delivers results in grams, % moisture, % solids, % moisture vs dry weight, and % solid vs dry weight
Cole-Parmer
www.coleparmer.com
XA 82/220/2Y
• Features intuitive operation and high operating comfort
• Includes user-defined settings and a range of functions and applications • Autotest system allows automatic control of balance’s quality
• Also lets users transfer and exchange data between balances
• Designed and manufactured in Poland
RADWAG USA
www.radwagusa.com
ASTM Class 6 Weight Set
• Simplifies daily quality control checks for balances and scales and calibration before procedures
• Feature 12 stainless steel weights that come cradled in foam, inside a wooden box, and include tweezers for proper handling without touching
• Available in nine variations including 50g x 10mg, 500g x 1g, 2000g x 1g, and several other scale calibration sizes
Advion
www.expressioncms.com
Lab Balance Manufacturers
| A and D | www.andonline.com |
| Adam Equipment | www.adamequipment.com |
| Alliance Scale | www.alliancescale.com |
| Cole-Parmer | www.coleparmer.com |
| Denver Instrument Company | www.denverinstrument.com |
| Gram Precision | www.gramprecision.com |
| Intelligent Weighing Technology | www.intelligentwt.com |
| Masterline Group | www.masterlinegroup.com |
| Mettler Toledo | www.mt.com |
| Ohaus | www.ohaus.com |
| Precisa | www.precisa.com |
| Radwag | www.radwag.com |
| Rice Lake | www.ricelake.com |
| Sartorius | www.sartorius.com |
| Scientech | www.scientech-inc.com |
| Shimadzu | www.ssi.shimadzu.com |
| Thermo Fisher Scientific | www.thermoscientific.com |
