Although not everyone may realize it, scales are an essential part of daily life. Whether you’re working in industrial manufacturing, shipping a package at the post office, or simply buying bananas at the grocery store, you have a scale to thank.

Despite how common they are, scales often go unnoticed. Have you ever stopped to wonder how scales work? Or thought to yourself, “What is a load cell?” Not everyone knows what a digital scale is used for, and even scale experts have struggled to understand how scales work at one point or another.

Fortunately, no matter the function, virtually every scale works the same way. Each scale contains a device called a load cell, which is used to measure the weight of an object. The load cell relies on an electrical signal.

When weight is applied to a scale, the load cell bends slightly. The electrical signal running through the load cell, measured by a small device called a strain gauge, then changes due to the amount of electrical resistance. In turn, the load cell’s signal change is read by the scale’s digital weight indicator, which is a device with a screen that displays the measured weight.

When used with intelligent weight indicators, scales are capable of conducting complex processes, such as checkweighing packages on a conveyor line, communicating weight data for a batching application or weighing truck loads for a logistics transfer operation.

From buying deli meat to batching concrete, the goods and services we consume need contact with a scale. Developing an understanding of how scales work can help us appreciate our interactions with everyday products.

Rice Lake Weighing Systems offers virtually every type of scale imaginable, from truck and floor scales to checkweighers and dimensioners. No matter the industry, you’re guaranteed to find the proper weighing solution at Rice Lake.