Electronic balances spark technology race
STEVE STINSON · Chemical & Engineering News · 1981
A fast-growing U.S. and worldwide market for electronic, top-loading, precision balances has set off a technology race among manufacturers jockeying for position. Ohaus Scale Corp., based in Florham Park, N.J., has just expanded its first line of such balances (C&EN, Dec. 4, 1978, page 5) from three to seven. The line has a range of capacities designed to meet 85% of needs for this type of balance, and has improved capabilities for interfacing with printers, programable calculators, and computers. Shimadzu Scientific Instruments entered the U.S. market in February with a line of 18 such balances. Two other balance makers, Mettler Instrument and West Germany's Sartorius-Werke, have expanded their lines in the past three years and made technological improvements. Precision balances weigh rapidly and accurately on a routine basis. Typical capacities range from 300 g, accurate to 0.01 g, to 5000 g, accurate to 0.1 g. Many of these have a second, smaller capacity range accurate ...