Thermal Crane Scales

Thermal crane scales are designed for use in extremely hot environments such as foundries and forges. They come with heavy-duty enclosures, heat shields, and internal thermometers to protect them from extreme temperatures. 

Optional features include an average or dampening feature, a wireless remote display, and data logging capabilities to keep a record of measurements. 

Our Ron 2501 model is a reliable and comprehensive solution for weighing in hot environments.

What are thermal crane scales?

Thermal crane scales, aka heat-resistant crane scales, are weighing devices designed specifically for use in foundries or other extreme-heat environments such as forges or rubber processing facilities. They are typically designed with heavy-duty enclosures and require the use of a heat shield to protect the scale’s sensitive electronics and even some mechanical parts. 

Foundries can reach temperatures of up to 2600 degrees Fahrenheit (1425 °C). The heat shield protects the scale from this extreme heat, while an internal thermometer makes sure the scale itself doesn’t go above 175°F (80ºC). Heat shields also help prevent moisture damage by blocking vapors and fumes from affecting the scale.

Thermal crane scales typically feature a wireless remote display to monitor the lifted load. The display is usually either handheld, or a large LED display that is easy to read at a safe distance in what are often harsh and smoky working conditions.

Applications and benefits of thermal crane scales

High-temperature crane scales are primarily used in foundries, where molten metal is poured into molds to produce castings. Crane scales have a few important roles to play in the process. 

Determining metallurgical additives

During the melting process, small amounts of metallurgical additives are added to the molten metal in the ladle. By weighing the ladles both before and after the additives are added using a specialized heat-resistant crane scale, operators can determine the exact quantities of each additive for each batch.

Determining volume in the ladle

The second most common application for thermal crane scales is to determine the total volume of molten metal in the ladle. This is done by weighing the ladle both before it’s filled, and then again once the metal has been poured in. This can prevent waste and damage caused by pouring excess material into the ladle.

Overload prevention

In a harsh environment with 1800°F molten steel, an overload situation could be a real disaster. Knowing the exact weight of the lifted load will help detect overloads and allow operators to safely correct the situation in time.

Design considerations for thermal crane scales

So just what distinguishes a heat-resistant crane scale from a standard crane scale? There are several features. 

Heat resistance and insulation

Obviously, the main characteristic of a high-temperature crane scale is its ability to withstand extreme heat. This is accomplished by using:

1. A thermal fabric jacket to cover the load cell
2. A steel plate heat shield to protect from radiant heat
3. An internal thermometer to prevent overheating

Wireless display

To effectively and safely read the crane scale’s measurements, extreme environment crane scales need a wireless display, since a wired display would never survive the high temperatures. This increases safety by keeping the operator at a safe distance and helps overcome visibility issues in what is often a smoky environment.

Averaging or dampening feature

Due to the swinging movement of the ladle, getting a stable reading can be difficult. That’s why high-quality thermal crane scales offer an optional average or dampening feature that displays the average weight over a short period of time, thus offsetting the effects of the swinging load.

The Ron 2501 wireless crane scale

With more than 45 years in the crane scale business, including countless customers working in foundries and other hot environments, Eilon Engineering is proud to offer a comprehensive solution for foundry crane scales.

Our Ron 2501 wireless crane scale is perfect for the job and can be purchased with the following add-ons:

• Heat shield (includes a steel plate and fabric jacket)
• Internal thermometer
• Average (dampening)
• Additional wireless LED display

By adding these four options to our tried and tested Ron 2501 model, you’ll have a high-temperature crane scale that’s ready for the harshest of environments.

And with other optional add-ons like an integral data logger, totalizer, and USB adaptor, you’ll be able to save your measurements and transfer them to your computer for further analysis and record keeping.

Display options for hot material weighing scales

Our Ron 2501 comes standard with a remote wireless indicator. But in a harsh environment like a foundry, you may need more display options. 

If your application requires multiple team members to read the scale’s measurement from different locations, you can simply add an additional handheld indicator.  

We also offer aluminum indicators with 1” and 2” displays, which can be added as additional indicators to any Ron 2501 model. 

Finally, for particularly tough applications, we offer a 5” LED display which can be read by the whole team from a safe distance.

How to choose a thermal crane scale

The first step when choosing a heat-resistant crane scale is to fully understand the nature of your application, i.e. how you’ll use the scale. 

You’ll need to know just how much heat the scale will be exposed to, and for how long. Remember, heat shields don’t completely prevent the scale from heating up; they only delay the rise in temperature long enough to complete the weighing procedure before removing the scale from the heat for a cooling down period becomes necessary.

So the higher the heat of your application, the shorter the amount of time you can expose the scale to it before a cool down is needed. This makes an internal thermometer a valuable option as it takes the guesswork out, ensuring that your crane scale remains unharmed in the long run. 

Next, you should decide if you need to keep a record of your measurements and transfer them to a computer for analysis and storage. 

Finally, you’ll want a scale that is easy to operate and has sufficient remote display options. This will ensure that the entire team can safely see the scale’s data.

Questions? Contact a service rep today for a free consultation about your weighing application.

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