2127. Industry Standards and How Important They Are to Mass Properties Measuring Equipment

Paper

Abstract

Many people are gun shy when it comes to ”government” regulations and processes. However” once we get used to the concept and understand the process” we learn to appreciate the value and importance of ”specifying and certifying.” Consider” for example the frozen entree section in the neighborhood grocery store. If someone wants a low-calorie” low-fat, Or low-salt entree” they have to be able to judge which entree to pick. Governmental standards imposed by the FDA fry to regulate and standardize information. Intercomp Company has been manufacturing high capacity and high accuracy weighing systems for fifteen years, The majority of the scales we manufacture are supplied to industries that require certification to ensure that the equipment complies with standards of accuracy” performance” and permanence. For nearly ten years” Intercomp has supplied portable truck scales to the trucking” law enforcement” and defense industry. As an example” the Texas Department of Public Safety uses approximately 1,500 of our portable truck scales to ensure vehicles do not exceed various weight restrictions. Weight restrictions exist on roadways throughout the world. These limitations are enforced to prevent road damage and protect the safety of others traveling on roadways. Before we can sell our portable truck scales to customers” we must have certification from various agencies to verify the equipment meets standards of accuracy and performance. There are numerous manufacturers of portable truck scales in the U.S. How does the end user know he/she is purchasing a scale that performs to desired specifications? Furthermore” why do industries throughout the world require most scales to be certified or meet some type of a federal standard. The user of a truck scale can be assured a scale is accurate and reliable because it has been certified by a federal or state agency of weights and measures. The scale has been tested and approved to meet a list of criteria. Virtually everything we buy and utilize in life has at some point or another been weighed. Virtually everything that is weighed must be weighed on a certified scale. The scales which aircraft are weighed upon are exempt from any type of standardized certification. Millions of passengers fly each year on billions of dollars worth of aircraft that are weighed on equipment that is never subjected to standardized certification. How can you” the people responsible for the use of the weighing equipment” be assured the scales you are utilizing meet worldwide standards for accuracy” reliability” and permanence? In other words” how can you be sure the scale you weigh your aircraft upon is as reliable as the truck scale” meat scale” or any other scale used today? There are several organizations and federal agencies that enforce compliance and set calibration standards for scales. This paper will introduce you to these organizations and agencies that you may or may not be familiar with” and hopefully present you with new ways of developing preexisting criteria. These criteria can then be considered for the purchase” certification” and use of scales so that you to can be assured that the equipment you utilize is accurate and reliable.