It’s simple, really. Manufacturers of balances have to be certain that their products adhere to the standards set forth in NIST Handbook 44 and NCWM Publication 14. These are the legal, nationally accepted standards that guarantee that any balance sold on the market is legal for trade.In other words, if you are in a business that sells products by weight, you should use a balance that conforms to NTEP standards for any commercial use. A large number of states require NTEP certification before a scale can be put to use.

The National Type Evaluation Program is a branch of the National Conference on Weights and Measures. The NCWM was put together by Congress in the early 20th Century to assist with unifying commercial weight developments. It has nothing to do with science; it is more like a political organization. Members from each state vote on changes to Handbook 44, to govern commercial weighing.

The National Type Evaluation Program operates a number of laboratories in seven states across the country. These laboratories have a series of tests that they perform to test the metrological functions of weighing devices. These functions include the sensing of the measured quantity; the transmission and storage of measurement signals; and the proper recording of those signals.

Balance manufacturers submit their products to the NTEP laboratories, where they undergo a battery of tests designed to insure that the products perform to the standards of the particular industry in which they will be used. These tests include load testing, voltage testing and measurement of how temperature fluctuations affect the balance’s performance. Once the battery of tests has been applied, the NTEP issues a Certificate of Conformance to the manufacturer. This guarantees that the balance can be used with confidence for the purposes the manufacturer has specified. The balance is now “legal for trade.”

In the recent past, pill counting has been considered to be a “legal for trade” application. Pill counters such as the Torbal DRX-500 are used to dispense a pre-determined number of pills for the pharmacist. However, ONLY “legal for trade” pill counters and prescription balances can be used for this purpose. This underlines the importance for all balance manufacturers in this field to conform to NTEP standards.