The set up of the lab balance is important. The site is very important to precision weighing. The site should be stable both physically and temperature wise. It should be solid and, most of all, vibration free. It should be draft free and out of the direct rays of the sun. Thought should be given to its location relative to other lab equipment, such as shakers and stirrers which may cause vibrations.

The surface should be approximately level and the balance should be brought to a very level condition by adjusting its feet while observing the spirit bubble level. This makes the weight vector perpendicular to the weigh pan for proper measurement.

The balance should be kept clean, especially the weigh pan and the area around it. A dust cover is a wise investment (but only if it is used). Be careful not to drop weights on the pan, but rather place them carefully to avoid damage to the flexures in the Roberval structure used to cancel out side loads on the pan. All Torbal laboratory and analytical balances use a precision magnetic force restoration load cell and a flexure based Roberval structure.

The balance must be allowed to come to internal temperature stability after the balance is plugged into a power outlet. This typically takes approximately 30 minutes. This is different from using the Power key to bring the balance from its standby state to its operating state. The balance maintains its internal stability in the Power Off or standby state and, therefore, may be used right after using the Power key.

The Tare key is probably the most used and most important function used on lab balances. The act of using Tare may be defined as re-zeroing the balance regardless of what weight is on the weigh pan, usually the weight of the container that will hold the unknown weight. It is very important to remember that when Tare is used to re-zero the scale with weight on the pan, that weight is deducted from the capacity of the scale. For example, if a balance has a capacity of 100 grams (full scale) and a container weighing 50 grams is removed by tare, then a 60 gram unknown weight will result in an Over Range condition. Tare is a very important function when compounding from a recipe. Tare lets the User weigh each ingredient separately while they are accumulated on the weigh pan.

Another major function is Calibration. It is necessary that the balance be periodically calibrated as all load cells drift over time and with temperature changes. Torbal offers scales which have an automatic calibration feature that utilizes an internal reference weight to keep the balance in calibration at all times. Balances that do not have this feature require that the User have a certified calibration weight (usually equal to the capacity of the balance) and that the scale be put through it calibration routine periodically to be sure that it is within its accuracy specifications.

Remember to re-level the balance every time it is moved. Even a move of a few inches on a warped surface can cause a problem. Take care in the handling of your balance, it is a precision instrument and will serve you well for many years if you treat it with the respect it deserves.