4 Reasons to Sign-up for a Scale Calibration Program

Scale Preventative Maintenance Service Agreement

A Preventative Maintenance Service Agreement is a great way to ensure accurate weighments as well as track potential problems occurring with your weighing applications. During a Preventative Maintenance trip, technicians will check the internal and external features of your scale to ensure proper functionality while also checking and adjusting calibration. Many scale issues can be found during a Preventative Maintenance check that could reduce scale down-time and decrease weighing accuracy. The following are 4 reasons why you should sign-up for a scale calibration program:

1.  Mechanical Integrity

While performing a Preventative Maintenance check on your scale, technicians will inspection key mechanical features of your scale that could be failing. Mechanical parts such are pivots and bearings, load cell cups, links, and load cell stands are all common areas that a scale will wear due to use, age, and environment. It is important to have these parts inspected routinely to ensure your scale has great repeatability – ability to repetitively weigh accurately – and that the scale is not facing other major issues. Seldom, the wearing of these parts are indicators of a major underlying issue.

2.  Electronic Calibrations

Most scale these days features electronic indicators or scale heads as well as electronic load cells. These electronic parts are tested and evaluated during a Preventative Maintenance check to ensure accurate performance. Load cell values and indicator calibration are written down to compare against recommended values as a gauge for potential failure or accurate performance.

3.  Accurate Weighing

Scales often act as a cash register for many operations. Products are bought and sold by weight, or weight is tracked to reflect production. During a Preventative Maintenance check, technicians are guided by the scale standards set forth by Handbook 44. By using the standards of Handbook 44, technicians know how much weight should be used to test your scale and what the tolerance levels are to ensure accurate weighing. Through time and use, a scale will drift away from proper calibration. A Preventative Maintenance check will ensure that your scale is routinely brought back to its correct calibration to save you time and money.

4.  Legal Standards

Scale applications fall under different agencies and protocols governing their required checks and documentations. Most states require annual checks and calibrations while the USDA and others may require quarterly or monthly. By having a Preventative Service Agreement, you can assure that your company stays in compliance with appropriate scale checks and documentation.

Want to learn more about our calibrations programs; checkout out more details here.

Steel Deck or Concrete Deck Truck Scales: Which Is Best For Me?

Steel Deck or Concrete Deck Truck Scales

What’s the difference between a steel deck and concrete deck truck scale and which one is best for my application?  

Steel Deck Truck Scale
Steel Deck Truck Scales are built with all heavy duty structural steel.  This will include steel I-beams running the length of each scale module.  Each manufacturer has slightly different designs for their I-beams ranging from the size, number, and shape.  Each manufacturer will claim their design is superior.  In our experience they all perform about the same assuming you are buying from a top-tier scale supplier (B-Tek, Mettler Toledo, Emery Winslow, Rice Lake, Cardinal, Fairbanks). A steel deck typically involves less initial cost – there is no investment in concrete or the labor to pour it. A steel deck scale weighs less, which makes it easier to move or relocate if needed. It can be fully operational within a day at your site, reducing production downtime and operational impacts.

Pros: 

• Faster installation as no concrete cure time is required

• Easier maintenance as the deck modules can be lifted 

• Reduced installation cost as fewer trips to complete job are required by scale dealer

• Higher resale value

• More custom profiles and sizes available (particularly extra low-profile)

Cons:

• Scale surface can be slick when wet

• Higher shipping cost since they are heavier 

Concrete Deck Truck Scale
A concrete deck truck scale is very similar to a steel deck truck scale, but each scale module has an open top for concrete to be poured into each deck, bonding the support beams of each module. A concrete deck needs approximately 21 to 28 days to cure, it offers greater resistance to rust and corrosion from road salt and generally requires less maintenance than steel decks, helping to extend the life of the scale. A concrete surface also provides better traction with rain and snow. Because of their design, concrete decks distribute the load over a wider area than steel decks.  Concrete deck scales were more common 10-15 years ago; however, they are still installed today.  

Pros: 

• Better traction in wet or slippery environments

• Reduced risk of rust or corrosion given there is less metal in the scale

• More mass which means there is less friction and stress on internal parts

• Hold up to acidic and chemical type environments well

Cons:

• Longer installation time as it takes 3-4 weeks for the scale deck concrete to cure to the proper PSI strength

• More difficult to move at a future date if you need to relocate the scale as each panel weighs ~25,000lbs vs ~8,000lbs for a steel deck

• More difficult maintenance due to the weight of the scale which can lead to higher maintenance costs

Conclusion

Choosing between a steel deck or concrete deck will come down to preference. Understanding your work site will help you figure out which scale deck will work for you. Our Learning Hub is a great place to start. For more detailed articles, check out “Truck Scale Foundation Types” or “How Muc A Truck Scale Cost?”. The learning hub is a great resource filled with articles that can help eductae you during your truck scale journey.

Truck Scale Foundation Types: What Are The Differences?

Truck Scale Foundation Types

The foundation will determine the lifespan of the scale and the lifespan of the scale will determine how much money stays in your pocket. The truck scale foundation is the lowest load bearing part of the scale. Even the smallest imperfections in the foundation can cause weighing errors and unintended wear and tear on the scale. The slope of the site and soil conditions must be examined carefully before construction, otherwise it could lead to problems down the road. There are three types of truck scale foundations: the pier foundation, the beam slab foundation, and the pit style foundation. 

Pier foundation
The pier foundation has “piers” that support each load bearing point. Typically some of the foundation is put below frost line so that when the ground freezes and thaws it doesn’t have any negative effects on the scale or the foundation. Pier foundations are commonly found in the north where the ground freezes more often. 

Beam slab (floating slab) foundation
The beam slab foundation has concrete beams that run the entire length and width of the scale. Typically the beam slab foundations are stronger than the pier foundation but are more susceptible to the cold.

Pit style foundation
Lastly, the pit style foundation has pits of varying depths underneath the scale. Each foundation will have different sized pits based on the scale and topography, but there is a minimum depth to allow technicians to access components under the weighbridge. Pits can require extra cleaning because debris can gather in the pits over time. 

Truck Scale Foundations: Pit vs. Above Ground

Truck Scale Foundation Types