Porter Scales

           W.B. Porter & Co., Inc.           
Celebrating 50 Years as the Triangle Area's leading source for industrial and laboratory weighing solutions.
 
1721 Lake Wheeler Road
Raleigh, North Carolina 27603

Tel: 919.828.1750
Fax: 919.755.0991

P.O. Box 27905
Raleigh, North Carolina 27611

We want your feedback!

As the name suggests, this is YOUR page.  We've set this page up to give you a place to ask questions or offer feedback about our service, equipment, quality system, or anything else that's on your mind.  Please use the form below to submit your feedback.  Scroll down for answers to customer questions, and news items that may interest you.

Thanks for your input.  Knowing what's on your mind will enable us to better serve your needs.
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Weighing Lab Proficiency
By Porter Scales | August 12, 2009 at 02:23 PM EDT | No Comments

Quality Digest Magazine explains the importance of using an ISO/IEC 17025:2005 Accredited Calibration Laboratory to perform calibrations.

Lorrie Blackburn
Quality Manager

Service After the Sale
By Porter Scales | June 24, 2009 at 10:01 AM EDT | No Comments

Often, customers will call us for a recommendation on what scale they need.  After we analyze their needs, recommend a scale, and quote them a price, they will go to the Web and find the same scale for less money from an Internet store.  Invariably, they will let us know that they found the same equipment elsewhere for less, and ask why would they want to buy it from us.

The reason is simple: your local scale distributor can provide services that the Internet store can’t. We have trained, experienced technicians who will test and calibrate your new scale so you know that it is working properly before you start using it. Scales DO NOT come out of the box ready to use!  Often, the errors are not clearly visible to the end user.  There is no way to correct or even locate these errors without certified test weights and knowledge that few customers possess. Most scales need to be calibrated in place before they can be considered reliable.  After your scale is placed in service, your local distributor is available to provide regular maintenance to minimize down time, and to repair it with factory-supplied parts when breakdowns do happen.  The Internet store does not provide service after the sale.

Lorrie Blackburn
Quality Manager

How often do we need to calibrate our scales?
By Porter Scales | June 22, 2009 at 09:30 AM EDT | 1 comment

This is arguably the most common question we are asked.  Unfortunately, it's also a question that just doesn't have an easy, definitive answer.  There are many factors involved, including:

  • How often do you use your scales?
  • How critical are the scales to your process?
  • What governmental or internal quality standards are you required to meet?
  • What happens to your product if a scale is found to be out of tolerance?  Can it be salvaged, or will it have to be scrapped?  What do you stand to lose if a scale is not working properly?

To establish a calibration interval, we suggest that you start with the manufacturer's recommendation (which is no doubt too often) and then adjust it based on documented historical experience.  If you find that quarterly calibration results show the scales to be out of tolerance each time, you may want to consider calibrating more frequently, perhaps monthly.  On the other hand, if your scales are rarely or never out of tolerance, it may be that you only need to have them calibrated every six months.  In the final analysis, this is a decision that only you can make.

Lorrie Blackburn
Quality Manager

NCDA Weight Certificates
By Porter Scales | June 22, 2009 at 08:50 AM EDT | No Comments

May 31, 2009 - We recently had our weights re-certified by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture.  Click here to download copies of our latest Certificates.


Lorrie Blackburn
Quality Manager

17025:2005 Reaccreditation
By Porter Scales | June 22, 2009 at 08:50 AM EDT | No Comments

On June 9, 2009, we received our re-accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025:2005 from Perry Johnson Laboratories.  Click here to download a copy of our new certificate for your records.

Lorrie Blackburn
Quality Manager