To begin with, defining a commercial weighing application isn’t normally straightforward. Weighing scales move around and get employed for things beyond our control. Legally, a NTEP approved device is required whenever money changes hands based on a scale’s reading. Freight scales, for instance, should be NTEP approved and selling apples by the pound using the RS130 scale would be a legal for trade situation. Of these situations government mandates that a scale must pass tests put forth by the National Type Evaluation Program (NTEP). These regulations should protect us, the consumer. But here’s something to consider. The majority of us buckle our seat belts right? We all do so because it’s smart, not just because it’s what the law states. The same goes for scales.
When you get down to business, we make use of a scale because we want to know a precise weight and trust the information we receive. When selecting a scale to weigh your bananas, or packages, or dose of medicine, can you select one that’s been tested as accurate, or one that’s never been tested at all? There may be a market for all kinds of equipment. But think about why a scale hasn’t passed the test. It probably costs less, and just how long will the load cell last? How will you know for sure it is accurate? And if you have to change it sooner than expected, just how much have you really saved when it is all said and done?