Total Sales Solutions
We believe that there is not one specific solution for every application. Some of our competitors are forced to offer only one solution because they are limited by only carrying products from one or two manufacturers. Our team utilizes the knowledge that we have gained since opening our doors in 1931 and our relationships with our numerous manufacturing partners to create the best solutions for your specific applications. Sure, we sell all kinds of products for simple, basic weighing, measuring and testing applications. But, we can also use our in-house experts and our resources at each of the manufacturers that we are an authorized distributor for to design and implement exactly what you need. Here are some examples of the custom solutions that we have created for customers:
Custom Solutions by Nicol Scales & Measurement – “Solutions to Measure By”
Seafood Company in Houston area with unreliable scales and programming
Problem:
Seafood Company in Houston area had a bagging system with two Weightronix indicators that had custom programs in them. Scales were hooked up to a light tree to tell operator when the hopper was full of product (shrimp). Once full, hopper would automatically dump, spray a predetermined amount of water and tell the bagging system below it had a full bag and should seal and cut it. Unfortunately, the scales were unreliable, the program seemed to lock up or not show correct display, and the scales were not fast enough to keep up with bagging system and did not have the preferred output to bagger.
Solution:
We replaced Weightronix with GSE 562′s that included custom program designed to speed up the weighing and bagging system, and also became more user friendly. The GSE 562’s were programmed to output a momentary signal to allow bagging system to speed up, and filtering was reduced to speed up weighing process. Overall process was intuitive and self explanatory to minimize operator training requirements. The Customer has stated the system has worked flawlessly and has greatly increased the amount of bags they are capable of processing per minute.
A leading medical manufacturer has an R&D location that needed 3rd party calibrations
Problem:
A leading medical manufacturer has an R&D location that is made up of numerous labs containing a variety of balances, pipettes and other measuring and laboratory devices. This manufacturer did not want to perform their own equipment calibrations in house. Instead, they would rather have a third party be in charge of their calibrations to ensure that good laboratory practices are followed and to avoid adding the costs of additional employees.
Solution:
This company chose Nicol Scales as their third party calibration provider. Nicol Scales was chosen because of our ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accreditation and because of our ability to integrate a small team of employees into their laboratories full time. This allows our team of calibration providers to work within the customer’s requirements and rotate throughout all of their labs to provide ongoing calibrations and repairs. Our team reports directly to their location each day and performs their calibrations and repairs according to the manufacturer’s schedule. They work under the direction of Nicol Scales, but they share information freely with their customer contacts on-site. This integrated partnership allows the customer to use third party labor to ensure that calibrations and repairs are done correctly and affordably by an ISO 17025 accredited calibration provider.
Fish farm needed automated system for better tracking and error reduction
Problem:
A fish farm was manually tracking how much feed was put into each individual pond and then recording that information into a database at a central office. With over 100 ponds being used this manual system was very labor intensive and led to many errors on the hand written reports.
Solution:
Nicol Scales created a wireless system using load cell modules and programmable indicators that can track fish pond ID’s and record how much feed was put into each pond and the type and size of feed loaded into each truck. This system also tracks which operator is using the system and the time and date of each individual feeding. The program is written in English and Spanish so operators can choose their desired language for prompts. The wireless system allows the operators to download the database at the end of each shift and creates a printed report which is used as a backup system in case of faulty data transmission or computer issues. A custom wedge software program is used to push the data into a database and also saves each transmission into a separate text file for a backup. This unique system gave the fish farm a competitive advantage because hours of manual data entry time were eliminated and errors were minimized by switching from a manual to an automated program. The system also documented feeding times which led to better time management of employees and improved inventory control of the feed means a bottom line savings to the farm because of less wasted fish feed.
A national transportation company has a shipping service that needed a standardized scale solution for each terminal
Problem:
A national transportation company has a shipping service as part of their service offerings. Since they charge by weight, they needed a standardized scale solution for each of their thousands of shipping terminals. Since they ship products nearly every day, they need access to fast in-house repair service and new scales.
Solution:
Nicol Scales created a national service and sales program for this customer. We stock their chosen brand of shipping scale in our Dallas warehouse so they always have quick access to new scales, when needed. This customer also sends their broken scales to our in-house repair department because we stock all of the authentic replacement parts for their scales and we can offer repair turn-around times which are quicker than the manufacturer’s and most other service companies. Plus, every new and repaired scale gets sent back to the customer’s shipping terminal with a NIST traceable, ISO 17025 calibration certificate as part of the service. The customer can rest assured that we will provide them with an accurate new or repaired scale quickly and efficiently at a reduced in-house repair rate.
A plastic pipe manufacturer mixes raw ingredients and needed automated system
Problem:
A plastic pipe manufacturer mixes raw ingredients together to make plastic piping. Their facility runs 24/7 so down time must be kept to a minimum. This customer had outdated Hardy batch controllers that were no longer supported. This controller was interfaced to a PLC system and controlled 14 different ingredients and up to 99 different formulas. The customer did not want to replace the entire system because it would be costly and create extra down time, but they wanted the ability to run the new system in fully automated mode or manual mode.
Solution:
Nicol Scales Houston branch created a custom batching system that could duplicate the existing system. We used a programmable indicator with a custom program (written in-house) that duplicated all functions and outputs of the customer’s existing system and added several additions requested by the customer. The system was installed and tested in 1 day and production resumed the next morning. This new system is more reliable and accurate than the customer’s previous system, which has lowered raw material costs and provided a very quick return on investment.
A customer in the cosmetics industry needs scales for a yearly inventory.
Problem:
A customer in the cosmetics industry needs scales for a yearly inventory. They only need the scales once a year, but they need to print the results of their inventory. They have specific resolution and accuracy requirements for their products because most of their products are liquids. They also have specific requirements for what information must be printed on their inventory labels.
Solution:
Nicol Scales does a yearly rental for this customer. We rent them 8 dual counting scales and we utilize printers that they already have. We pick up their printers from their location before their rental time and we program the printers according to their print format that we keep on file. We set the scales up in Kg units only and we choose scales that can meet their resolution requirements. We also keep RS232 cables in stock to connect each printer to each scale. We then deliver the scales and printer to the customer and we train their operators on how to use them. This ensures that this customer has a solution which will cut their yearly inventory time drastically and get them back to producing products quickly.
Test a unique elastomer in a temperature chamber
Problem:
A University needed a material testing machine that could test a unique elastomer in a temperature chamber with a non-contact extensometer. They needed a software package that would allow them to write customized test scripts to alter the temperature of the chamber along with the movement of the crosshead so that the elongation of the material at different temperatures could be accurately recorded in the software.
Solution:
Nicol Scales supplied the University with a material testing machine that contains a thermal chamber, non-contact extensometer, multiple load cells, and a software package that is capable of running very customized tension and compression testing applications. Our solution was chosen because of our ability to assist the customer with creating their unique tests in the software and because of our local service and support capabilities. It took multiple visits by our Technical Manager to help get the system dialed in correctly, but we supported the customers the entire time. We heard positive feedback that included the comment that our testing software was better than Instron’s “Blue Hill” software because it is much more customizable and you get the complete software package for one low price – without having to buy multiple expensive modules to run different types of tests.
Force testing equipment that is obsolete and differs from plant to plant
Problem:
A large packaging manufacturer has a number of plants across the United States. They have a variety of different force testing equipment that is obsolete and differs from plant to plant.
Solution:
Nicol Scales worked with a manufacturing partner to create a custom force testing machine with a unique “foot print” and a custom firmware program to send data to a quality control software package that is unique to this manufacturer. This allows the manufacturer to see quality issues as the product is being made so excess scrap is not generated by running an entire shift of bad product and it minimizes defective product that makes it to their customers. Plus, with each plant utilizing the same force testing solution the customer can count on repeatable results at multiple plants that produce the same products.
Helicopter company experienced inaccurate blade weight
Problem:
Helicopter Company in Dallas area was having issues with newly installed scale not weighing the blades accurately or consistently. They called Nicol Scales to see if we could provide a better solution or a fix to their weighing problem. They had 2 scale bases placed 16 feet apart from each other under a 25’ structure made from channel steel. What they did not see was that the structure our competitor had installed was the difference between good weighing and bad weighing. The flexing of the framework caused errors greater than what the Metrology people at the Helicopter Company would pass nor was the scale repeatable.
Solution:
Our solution was simple and effective. We got rid of the 24” X 24” Sartorius bases and replaced them with 6 Sartorius load cells placing 2 load cells at each end of the framework and 2 in the center. Also, we beefed up the framework so that it did not sag whenever a load was placed on any part of the scale. We modified the current structure to include angle bracing from the furthest voids back to the legs where the load cells were placed.
Next, we welded the structure getting it in the shape necessary to make the load cells perform perfectly. Our technicians went out to the Helicopter facility and installed the load cells and framework where it weighed perfectly no matter where the load was placed, nor how heavy it was, nor the length of the load. After the installation was complete, the Metrology Lab personnel went over the scale with a fine toothed comb, measuring and placing weights everywhere on the structure. They could not believe how good the scale actually weighed and how accurate it was.