What are Laboratory Balances
Laboratory Balances are precision weighing instruments used to measure the mass of materials or powders in fine increments. They are essential tools in scientific research, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, quality control, and industrial applications, where meticulous measurements are critical for experiments, formulations, and compliance with Australian standards. As such, they are widely used by researchers and professionals for scientific weighing; consistently producing accurate measurement readings. You can browse our range of premium laboratory balances here, or scroll down to learn how laboratory balances can benefit your industry.
While both scales and laboratory balances are used for measuring weight, one of the key characteristics of laboratory balances is that they can measure miniscule masses in the sub-milligram range. Scales on the other hand, generally measure larger weights and are used in applications where less precision is required.
The Different Types of Laboratory Balances
Lab balances vary widely in design and functionality, offering a diverse range of options to suit different applications. The different types of lab scales can generally be grouped into the following categories:
- Analytical Balances: Analytical balances, typically refers to balances that offer readability of 1mg or better, up to 4 decimal places. Due to their high accuracy, even minor variations in air currents or dust can affect readings, so operators often use these balances with breeze breaks or enclosures.
- Precision Balances: Precision balances are high resolution weighing instruments typically used for applications requiring measurements with readability to 0.001g. They offer superior precision compared to standard scales, making them ideal for use in laboratories, quality control, and production environments. Precision balances can handle larger capacities than analytical balances while still providing reliable and consistent results.
- Compact Balances: Compact balances are versatile and portable weighing scales that combine accurate measurements with convenience. These balances are designed to occupy minimal space while offering reliable performance for everyday weighing tasks. With features like battery operation, user-friendly interfaces, and easy calibration, compact balances are suitable for use in fieldwork, educational settings, and small laboratories. They provide quick and efficient measurements for a variety of applications, including portion control, formulation, and simple laboratory tasks, without compromising on precision.
- Micro Balances and Semi-Micro Balances: Micro Balances are capable of measuring the small samples approximately 5-20g and achieving high readability down to 0.001mg or 0.01mg, or even into the µg range with ultra microbalances. These instruments excel in accurately measuring powders or liquids of minimal mass, making them ideal for applications such as quality assurance, product testing, and verifying the consistency of critical components.
- Moisture Analyser: Moisture analysers are specialised laboratory instruments designed to measure the moisture content of samples. Unlike traditional methods involving large incubators or ovens for drying and subsequent weighing, these compact benchtop devices offer significantly faster processing. They utilise a thermogravimetric principle, commonly known as loss on drying, which involves heating and drying the sample using technologies like halogen or infrared lamps combined with a balance featuring milligram readability. Using a moisture analyser can drastically expedite workflows, reducing the time needed for moisture determination tests from endless hours to minutes.
What Are the Key Features of Laboratory Scales?
Some features of Lab scales include:
- High Precision: Lab balances provide precise and reliable measurements for demanding applications, offering exceptional measurement accuracy.
- Capacity & Accuracy: Available in various capacities, laboratory balances can cater to a diverse range of application requirements with their ability to detect even the smallest changes in weight.
- Calibration & Adjustment: Lab balances allow you to recalibrate externally or internally, which, if done regularly, can help you ensure that they always maintain their accuracy.
- Speed & Ease of Use: Modern laboratory balances are designed with user-friendly operation in mind. They feature intuitive control panels, clear displays, and straightforward calibration procedures. This enhances convenience and ensures efficient workflow.
- Additional Functions: Many modern laboratory balances offer extra features such as tare functionality, data storage, statistical calculations, and interface options for seamless data transfer to computers or printers. These capabilities streamline laboratory tasks and improve overall efficiency.
What are breeze breaks used for in Lab Balances?
Analytical and microbalances are sensitive to air currents, electrical charges, and vibrations, and while most analytical balances come with a draught shield or breeze break, those who are operating in environments that are prone to electrical charges or vibrations may benefit from features such as an ioniser or anti-vibration table (it’s worth knowing that microbalances will often include a draught shield and built-in ioniser to provide enhanced stability).
Applications For Laboratory Balances
Laboratory balances offer a range of practical applications to various businesses, providing accuracy, industry compliance, and overall efficiency across numerous sectors. Some of the more common applications for lab scales include:
Pharmaceuticals: Whether you’re involved in preclinical testing or drug administration, the pharmaceutical industry requires a high standard of accuracy, which makes lab balances critical instruments. Lab scales help you to meet stringent regulatory requirements while accurately weighing ingredients, formulations, and final products.
Manufacturing: From automotive factories to the electronics industries, precision balances can help measure components and materials, enabling efficient production and quality control.
Food Processing: Lab scales provide quality assurance in food processing and production facilities, allowing you to easily and accurately take care of recipe formulation, ingredient weighing, and overall quality assurance.
Research & Development: Laboratory scales provide accurate measurements in various research fields, such as chemistry, biology, and material science, enabling the development of new products and technologies.
Environmental Sciences: In environmental sciences, laboratory balances are used to weigh environmental samples such as soil, water and air particles. This enables the analysis of environmental pollution and the study of environmental impacts.
A&D Weighing Solutions for Your Lab Balance Needs
HR-250AZ Compact Analytical Balances
The HR-250AZ Compact Analytical Balances provide superior performance, offering fast and accurate measurements and a readability of 0.1mg. Equipped with A&D’s proven sensor technology, the HR-250AZ also boasts a fast stabilisation time of just 2 seconds. Its large, removable breeze break with antistatic coating, compact footprint (198 mm × 294 mm), and rotary sliding doors requiring no extra rear space make it highly efficient. The balance features automatic calibration with an internal mass, a clear reverse-backlit LCD, and offers fourteen weighing units, including a user-programmable unit. The HR-250AZ complies with GLP/GMP/GCP/ISO standards, and includes modes for counting with Automatic Counting Accuracy Improvement (ACAI), percent functions, adjustable response characteristics, statistical calculations, a comparator with buzzer, and auto power on/off. It also comes with an underhook function, density determination capability, an optional built-in rechargeable battery, as well as A&D’s industry leading 5 years warranty.
BM Series Micro Analytical Balance
The BM Series Micro Analytical Balance has a large weighing chamber and interlockable sliding doors for efficient two-handed operation. The anti-static glass breeze break has a thin evaporated metal coating for added protection. The balance also includes automatic calibration with an internal mass, automatic response adjustment, in-built fanless ionizer, and a clearly visible reverse backlit LCD. When it comes to mitigating factors that significantly impact precise weight measurements, static electricity is an oft overlooked factor, but the BM Series addresses this issue, eliminating static electricity while facilitating accurate and straightforward analytical weighing. It supports twelve weighing units, GLP/GMP/GCP/ISO compliant output, a data memory function, a comparator function with a buzzer, and an auto power-on feature. The BM series also includes density determination and built-in sensors for temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure.
Moisture Analysers with SRA Technology
A&D also offers Moisture Analysers with Secondary Radiation Assist (SRA) technology. These devices provide faster, uniform heating, resulting in shorter measurement times. They include Sodium Tartrate Dihydrate samples for accuracy checks, a memory function to store data, and ergonomically designed pan handles designed to facilitate an easy handling of the sample tray while preventing burns and other accidents that commonly occur when moving a hot sample tray. This product, which comes with an industry-leading 5-year warranty, ensures high repeatability with a standard deviation of 0.001%. With four measurement programs and a clear, easy-to-read VFD display, it simplifies the handling of sample trays to prevent burns. A glass window allows for heating checks, and the self-check function ensures reliability. The standard RS232C serial interface and GLP standards compliance further enhance its functionality.
Conclusion
Laboratory scales offer precise and accurate measurements essential for scientific research, quality control, and industrial applications. Their benefits include high sensitivity, reliability, and the ability to ensure consistent results in critical experiments and processes, making them a boon to scientists, researchers, and anyone working in an industrial sector where accurate measurements are essential. You can , or head over to our homepage to see our vast range of other weighing scales, balances and equipment.
A&D Weighing is a leading Australian provider of electronic weighing scales, laboratory balances, metal detectors, checkweighers, analytical balance, moisture analysers, and more. Our scales are renowned for their accuracy, which is exactly why they have been implemented in countless factories, warehouses, laboratories, and Australian Post stores nationwide. If you have any inquiries, don’t hesitate to .
