Around 5000 BC, the Egyptians created a mechanism (now called a balance) with a central axis and a crossbar with a plate at each end, which allowed them to weigh gold and conduct fair trade.
Later, during the Roman Empire, the mechanism developed by the Egyptians underwent changes and the first Roman scales appeared. These scales had two arms of different lengths. The shorter arm was used to place the product to be weighed, and the longer arm had measurement markings. To determine the weight of the products, the pestle was slid in both directions until a point of equilibrium was found.
After more than three millennia, following the 16th century, scales began to evolve rapidly to keep pace with the growth of industries and businesses. The pharmaceutical sector demanded that scales become more accurate and precise in weighing small products. The expansion of the metallurgical sector led to the development of scales with a cutter, a triangular support for resting the crossbar. German engineer Florenz Sartorius designed the first brass scales, with short arms enclosed in a glass case.
In the 20th century, technology began to be applied to scales, making them more accurate, robust and functional. Today, scales are digital, display the weight on touch screens and are connected to POS and mobile devices via software and WiFi/Bluetooth.
Scales are constantly evolving to meet the needs of industry and businesses, with the aim of optimising processes, making them more effective and efficient.
