Understanding the Relationship Between NTEP and Heavy Duty Scales in Montana

Any heavy duty scales in Montana that are used to weigh items that will be bought or sold or that will include some other transactional charge will need to be certified by the National Type Evaluation Program (NTEP). Since scales in all but four states require this seal of approval, it is important to learn just what NTEP is, and why its certification is so valuable.

Legal for trade

NTEP sets the industry standard for scale measurements to ensure that business dealings are based off of accurate calculations and remain fair for all parties involved. To receive an NTEP certification, all aspects of your scale and its operation—including readability, capacity and accuracy—will be inspected by a local Weights and Measures inspector.

In many cases, NTEP certification takes place over an extended period of time. There are several different factors that can affect a scale’s operation, and just because a scale is working the correct way one day doesn’t mean it will hold up and still operate properly a month from now. Humidity is one example of an external factor that can affect a scale’s readings, and for that reason the temperatures at the time of testing are also taken into account.

Once your scale has been certified for use, it will contain your NTEP certification that confirms compliance with the standards set out by the program, and a conformance number so that the scale’s compliance can easily be referenced and verified if necessary.

The importance of NTEP scales

Even though NTEP approved scales and all of the requirements needed for certification might seem burdensome, over time you will begin to see how using certified scales might work in your favor. For businesses on the selling end of the transaction, if you are weighing large masses and quantities of product and your scale is not displaying the full weight or is a few pounds short every time, you could end up not charging enough for the shipment. If your scale is inaccurate and this type of miscalculation happens every day, you could be costing your company thousands of dollars. Even worse, you could be destroying a great business relationship if your partners feel slighted.

The same goes for items that you might be purchasing from another company. If their scale is off and they end up charging you more for the items you are buying than what you actually owe, you could be giving away money every time, and again your company would stand to lose lots of money over the long term.

When using NTEP scales with up-to-date certifications, you can be sure that the transactions are fair, both for you and your customers, which will lead to better margins and better business overall. If you are looking for an NTEP approved scale for your business, give us a call at Rockwell Scales. We install, repair, and build heavy duty scales in Montana for all industries, including agricultural, industrial and mining. Contact us today to find the right scale system for your company!

Categorised in: Heavy Duty Scales

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