Legal-for-Trade Scales: Are Yours Meeting All the Requirements?
Any scale which is used for commercial transactions, where products are bought and sold based on weight, must be legal-for-trade. But what does legal-for-trade really mean? And how can you make sure that your scale is compliant?
In the United States, Handbook 44 outlines the requirements for legal for trade scales. When a scale meets the standards set by Handbook 44, it ensures that the scale is capable of providing accurate and consistent measurements repeatedly. In turn, this prevents disputes and ensures fairness in transactional situations.
All legal-for-trade scales must be clearly marked with a sticker, metal plate, or alternate form of identification displaying that the scale is NTEP approved. If the scale is not appropriately marked, it is not considered legal-for-trade and cannot be used in commercial transactions involving weight.
One other requirement for being trade approved is that the scale has been inspected by a calibration service provider for the requirements of HB44. They then submit paperwork to the State Weights and Measures department, although the state reserves the option to retest the scale to verify accuracy.
Technical Guide: Temperature Ramping When Tuning PID Loops
Cross’s Process Solutions engineers are often asked to control a temperature in a PID loop that must ramp up as rapidly as possible to a target setpoint, minimize any overshoot, and control steadily at that setpoint once achieving it.
Senior Systems Integration Engineer Chris Hardy wrote this technical guide to explain one method he recently used to achieve this. This is one method to achieve a rapid ramp with minimal overshoot, then good steady-state control at the target. Configuring the system to automatically capture steady state CV and adjust pre-cutoff offsets can reduce the need for manual tuning going forward.
What's New at Cross
New Pressure Transmitter and Vortex Meter Partner: Azbil
Cross Process Solutions is pleased to announce our partnership with Azbil North America, a division of Azbil Corporation. Azbil, formerly known as Yamatake Corporation, was founded in 1906 and produces measurement and control technology for buildings and industrial automation.
In particular, Azbil’s differential pressure transmitters are highly advanced, well made and their two way communication enables self-diagnosis, range resetting, and automatic zero adjustment operations.
Azbil’s vortex flow meters also stand out for their superior technology and quality workmanship. With no moving parts, they need little maintenance and repair and can be used to measure liquids, gases and steam. Watch this video to learn the theory of vortex meters and the features and benefits of the Azbil line.
Did you know?
Calibration Provider Not Getting Your Equipment Back Fast Enough?
Calibration is an essential part of compliance in the life sciences industries, almost a cost of doing business. But if your calibration provider isn’t getting your equipment back to you in a timely manner, you have the extra cost of purchasing and maintaining spare equipment while it’s out.
Cross Precision Measurement is a full service, ISO 17025-accredited calibration provider with twenty labs across the Southeast and Midwest, including our newest labs in Atlanta and Charleston. We are accredited in over 150 different parameters and can perform NIST-traceable calibration on literally thousands of types of equipment. Critically, 90% of the equipment we calibrate is turned around in 7 days or less.
Don’t carry the cost of spare equipment because your calibration provider is too slow. See how Cross Precision Measurement can help!
Simplify Rupture Disc Installation with a Pre-Torqued Holder
Ensure your rupture discs are accurately torqued by using a pre-torqued rupture disc holder from Cross partner Continental Disc. Apply the precise level of torque in the controlled environment of a workshop, prior to final installation, to maintain the precise loading of the rupture disc, even where poor flange alignment and gasket cold flow may be an issue.
Pre-torqued holders are especially useful for:
- Process equipment with glass or fluoropolymer-lined flanges that can’t provide enough compression to seal the rupture disc in the holder
- Where piping arrangements restrict access, preventing correct torque loading of the flange fasteners
- Processes requiring regular removal and inspection of the rupture disc and holder assembly
- Applications requiring leak testing of the rupture disc assembly prior to installation in the piping system
Not sure which rupture disc or which holder you need? The experts at Cross Process Solutions can help specify one for your particular process.
Cross Provides Tangible Value for You
Improve Efficiency
The new 10% overpressure vents from Cross partner GROTH are able to achieve the same flow capacity with a far lower psi, leading to better performance at lower cost than pilot-operated vents.
The sealing of the new valves was also developed to minimize fugitive emissions while providing increased protection and safety to tank equipment and on-site personnel. They can also be paired with a flame arrestor for applications with explosive concerns
Improve Efficiency
For processes in harsh or outdoor environments which require transmitters, alarms or LOI displays, Cross partner Brooks Instrument has improved the IP rating on their MT3809G variable area flowmeters. They are now available with IP66/67 NEMA 4X ratings, meaning they are perfect for heavy duty liquid, gas and steam applications. The meter also features an intrinsically safe aluminum housing with improved corrosion resistance and a broad temperature and pressure range.
Raise Quality
As calibration providers, we know how critical record keeping is for both quality and compliance. Cross’s award-winning, cloud-based calibration software GageSuite® is user friendly and available anywhere.
It’s also ideal for visibility of multiple production locations. Whether those are across the street or across the country, GageSuite® allows you to track every gage and ensure that all of them are within calibration, with one single log-in.