How Do Crane Scales Work?

Purpose

Scales are used in our everyday lives to maintain and manage the goods and materials we require to keep our households and our communities going. Crane scales are often used on ships, planes, trains, foundries and warehouses.. Crane scales are used to measure both the load and the pressure on the crane. Using digital readouts and printers, workers are able to monitor the cargo during loading or unloading so they do not jeopardize the load or the transportation of it.

How it Works

Crane scales are battery operated and we recommend that you charge the scale fully prior to use and that you keep at least 1 spare battery on hand.  Crane scales usually come packaged in a box with all necessary parts. Once you attach the hook to the digital read out you will need to tare the hook from the measurement and then you will be able to test and ensure that the loads are being weighed properly. You can then change the measurement increments (pounds to kilograms for example) and begin measuring.

Be aware that it is critical that you know the accurate dimensions of the overhead crane hook before you attach it to the crane scale to insure that it won’t bind.  It is important to have some play between the top loop on the crane scale and the overhead crane hook to ensure correct weighments.

By attaching the load to the hook, the digital readout will be able to tell you how much force is being put onto the crane, how much the load weighs and you will then be able to transport the cargo properly without issues. Be sure to keep your crane scales calibrated and maintained to get accurate readouts and data. Crane scales can be digitally connected to a printer so over time you will be able to collect and analyze data.

We strongly recommend that you have professional installation on larger capacity crane scales, and Garber can provide this service for you onsite.

Everyday Use

These scales are often used in the manufacturing and transport of freight. Knowing the weight of a load is crucial when transporting large amounts by train, plane, or ship because the weight may change the distribution of the freight, which, if not monitored properly, could endanger the crew and the rest of the cargo being transported. Using crane scales will also help workers find out if they must prepare other cranes that can handle the weight of the freight. While many transport and manufacturing cranes are built to withstand massive amounts of force they can still break under pressure if not reinforced properly or repaired to withstand the force of the cargo.

While many people outside of the industry do not think that the manufacturing and transportation of goods is an exact science, in a lot of ways it MUST be in order to ensure the safety of those working in the field and the safety of the goods we require for our daily lives.