| Date: September 1, 1997 | Comparison Chart  |
Laboratories pressed with weighing needs can choose from several classes of balances comprised of virtually hundreds of models with unique designs, functions, and capacities. Balances have been redesigned and upgraded from year to year, and the list of available features and options keeps growing.
What exactly makes an analytical balance an analytical balance? For the purposes of this profile, we will define an analytical balance as an instrument capable of weighing to 0.1 mg and possessing a draft shield. As opposed to strain gauge or capacitance-based weighing cells, analyticals generally utilize magnetic force-restoration cells. These cells incorporate a suspended coil surrounded by magnets, and weights are derived from the sensitive changes in coil voltage when mass is exerted on the system. Since these cells are so sensitive, a few manufacturers are currently constructing them out of single aluminum blocks, eliminating the need for precise ...
