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Load Cells Maximize Weighbridge Performance

What is a weighbridge? By definition, a weighbridge, also known as a truck scale or weight scale, is a large, heavy-duty platform scale used to weigh vehicles and their cargo. They are typically found in industrial settings where large or commercial vehicles, cargo, and various materials must be weighed.

Weighbridges come in all shapes and sizes and measure the weight of various products. The heart and soul of a weighbridge is a sensor that provides the user with accurate weight data.

Traditional weighbridges often rely on mechanical components that can wear down over time, leading to slight inaccuracies. Interface load cells are incredibly precise and deliver highly accurate weight readings, even with constant use. This minimizes errors in measurements, ensuring reliable data for every weighbridge operation.

One of the most common weighbridge applications using load cells is measuring large trucks at weigh stops on highways and in transport centers. However, weighbridge load cells are used in weighing applications for railways, waste containers, supermarket scales, warehouses, test benches, heavy-duty equipment, and industrial scales.

Typical Weighbridge Use Cases

  • Compliance with weight limits: Many countries regulate transportation, including a vehicle’s maximum weight. For example, weighbridges ensure that trucks are not overloaded, which can damage roads and bridges and be dangerous.
  • Shipping costs: Weighbridges are used to weigh shipments to calculate accurate shipping costs.
  • Track inventory: Warehouses, shipyards, manufacturers, and distribution companies can use weighbridges to track their inventory by weighing incoming and outgoing goods.
  • Waste disposal: Weighbridges can weigh waste materials during landfill disposal by automating equipment to manage waste.

Our load cells support many weighbridge applications because we supply highly accurate and reliable force sensor technologies commonly used in weighing applications across all industries. We understand weighing sensors must be highly accurate and reliable to ensure precise data. Check out our weighing solutions guide to help select the right measurement device for your application.

Interface weighing solutions that make an excellent fit for weighbridge applications include:

Top Five Benefits of Precision Load Cells For Weighbridges

#1—Precision load cells offer superior accuracy to traditional mechanical weighbridge systems. This minimizes errors in weight measurements, ensuring reliable data for transactions, compliance checks, and inventory management.

#2—Reliability is vital in these applications. Interface load cells deliver consistent weight readings even with repeated use. This allows for dependable performance, which is crucial for tasks like batching or monitoring materials.

#3—Unlike mechanical systems with moving parts, precision load cells are reliable instruments that increase lifespan and reduce maintenance costs and downtime for weighbridge operations.

#4—Precision load cells offer a broader range of weight capacities. This allows a single weighbridge with these load cells to accommodate various vehicle sizes and weights, offering greater flexibility.

#5- Interface offers a range of highly durable load cells designed to withstand harsh industrial environments, ensuring long-lasting performance and reliable weight measurements.

Truck Weighbridge Solution

A customer owned a truck company and needed to record the weight of loads being carried by their trucks. They wanted a wireless weighing bridge to transmit, log, and display the results in real time. Interface suggested installing multiple WTS 1200 LowProfile™ Load Cells under a weighing bridge. When the truck drives over it, the load cells transmit the force results wirelessly to the WTS-BS-4 Industrial Base Station connected to the customer’s PC with the provided Log100 software. The WTS-LD2 Wireless Large LED Display also displayed the weight inside for the driver to see in real-time. Using this solution, the customer successfully measured, logged, and graphed the different loads their trucks carried wirelessly onto the weighbridge.

Interface has also seen applications, including the use of weighcheck load cells in machinery for bag filling, bottle filling, high-speed check weighers, multi-head packing machines, silo and tank weighing systems, and conveyor scales.

Interface is the perfect force solutions partner for weighbridge applications across industries. To learn more about these solutions for weighbridges and other weighing applications, please visit our Weighing Solutions Overview and Applications.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Aquafarming Fish Weighing

Inventory Weighing

Mining Tank Weighing

Timber Weighing and Harvesting

Load Cells for Smarter and More Efficient Weighing

Medical Bag Weighing

 

Interface’s Steering Role in All Types of Transportation

Interface serves a wide variety of industries that design and manufacture movers of people and objects. The transportation sector consists of companies that assist in the movement people or goods, as well as supporting infrastructure. Whether it is automobiles or planes, trains or helicopters, spacecraft or water vessels, Interface provides solutions to help test and measure force, weight, torque, lift and more.

The safety, quality and reliability of the overall transportation industry are all important considerations in design, build and performance. Human safety being the most critical requirement of any transport vehicle or structure.

This means that stringent testing is necessary to confirm the design of every part and system on a vehicle. Force measurement sensors can used to test a wide variety of factors on every type of invention that moves or transports a person or thing. From the torque of an electrical vehicle engine to the weight distribution of an aircraft, these types of tests help to refine the designs of components, vessels, and vehicles, confirming safety and dependability.

All Interface product categories have a role in the testing of all these transportation entities.  Many of our sensor technologies are also ideal for performance monitoring and integration into product designs, whether it’s for ongoing measurement of weighing ship cargo with load pins, load shackles and tension links or using our torque transducers for engine testing on e-bikes, automobiles, trucks, buses, and other transport vehicles.  If it moves, it needs to be measured. Our force and torque solutions are ideal for every segment of this market sector.

Let’s take a quick tour of a few application examples that demonstrate the different products we provide that are helping get people and objects safely moving down the road, on the rails, in the air and even into space.

Wind Tunnel Testing

A major aerospace company was developing a new airplane and needed to test their scaled model for aerodynamics in a wind tunnel, by measuring loads created by lift and drag. Interface offered a Model 6A154 6-Axis Load Cell which was mounted in the floor of the wind tunnel and connected to the scaled model by a stalk. A Model BX8-AS was then connected to the sensor to collect data. The wind tunnel blew air over the scaled model creating lift and drag, which was measured and compared to the theoretical airplane models. Software in the PC converted raw data signals to actual force and torque values at the stalk. Using this solution, the company was able to analyze the collect data and made the necessary adjustments in their design to improve the aerodynamics of their theoretical airplane models. Read more.

Garbage Truck On-Board Weighing

A garbage disposal company wanted to test the load capacity of their garbage truck bins so they know when it reached maximum capacity. Interface’s solution was to customize and install 4 SSB Sealed Beam Load Cells under the garbage box body, on either side. When trash continues to be piled inside the box body, it will push more force down onto the SSB Sealed Beam Load Cells. When maximum load capacity has been reached, the results can be reviewed and displayed when connected to the 482 Battery Powered Bidirectional Weight Indicator in real time. With this system, the customer was able to test the maximum load capacity of the garbage bin attached to the truck, so they know when to empty the truck’s garbage at the transfer station. Read more.

Engine Head Bolt Tightening

 

 

 

 

 

An industrial automation company was building an automated assembly machine for an auto manufactur­ing plant. They needed to tighten all head bolts on an engine on their assembly line to a specific torque value. Having the head bolts precisely and consistently tightened to the engine block is critical to the operation of the engine. Several Interface Model T33 Spindle Torque Transducers were installed in their new machine to control torque, angle, and ensure the head bolt was properly tight­ened. The square drive of the T33 allowed the customer to fix their tool directly to the end of the torque sensor, streamlining the installation. When the machine comes down and screws on the engine head bolts the torque and angle profile are sent to the customer’s machine controller. Based on the feedback received by the machine controller, the automation will pass the engine to the next step in the assembly line or fail and have the engine evaluated further. This allowed the customer to ensure the head bolts were correctly installed according to manufacturer specifications, producing an engine that meets performance and reliability expectations of the auto manufacturing plant. Read more.

Bicycle Load Testing

A mountain bike manufacturing company wanted a system that measures their bike frames load capacities and vibrations on the frame. They also want to ensure the bike’s high quality and frame load durability during this final step of the product testing process. Interface suggested installing Model SSMF Fatigue Rated S-Type Load Cell, connected to the WTS-AM-1E Wireless Strain Bridge, between the mountain bike’s seat and the bike frame. This will measure the vibrations and load forces applied onto the bike frame. When a heavy load is added to the seat, the SSMF Fatigue Rated S-Type Load Cell measures the vibrations and load forces applied to the bike to indicate any stress points through a number of cycles. The results will be captured by the WTS-AM-1E and transmitted to the customer’s PC using the WTS-BS-6 Wireless Telemetry Dongle Base Station. This solution helped the mountain bike manufacturing company gather highly accurate data to determine that their bikes met performance standards through this final testing cycle. Read more.

These are just a brief example of the work we do in transportation. Interface systems have been involved in projects with boats, races cars, construction vehicles and even rocket ships. Manufacturers turn to Interface because of our track record for accuracy and the transportation industry relies on this data to keep its customers safe.

For additional insights and ideas related to transportation solutions, here are a few more posts to read.

Interface Plays a Role in Testing Bicycles

Evolving Urban Mobility Sector for Test and Measurement

Interface’s Crucial Role in Vehicle and Urban Mobility Markets

Measurement Technologies for Boats, Yachts and Watercraft

Interface and The Race to Space

Driving Force in Automotive Applications

To review more application notes pertaining to transportation or to talk to an application engineer about your next project, contact us or call us at 480-948-5555.

Interface Solutions for Waste Management Applications

Interface measurement and sensor solutions exist in all kinds of industries. If lifting or pulling an object, verifying torque, or testing the weight or load is required for monitoring safety or performance, chances are there are sensor technologies in play. Interface load cells, torque transducers, shackles, and load pins are commonly used along with various types of instrumentation for these kinds of specialized measurement functions.

An industry that heavily relies on Interface precision technologies for weighing, testing, and measurement is the waste management industry. This is an industry that requires an ability to measure various functions and materials, from hazardous waste disposal to recycling technologies, to operate. Waste management utilizes Interface sensors to provide routine data in real-time that provides accurate performance information for equipment, from garbage transport vehicles to waste and storage containers.

The reason product design engineers and manufacturers of waste management equipment and vehicles choose Interface is because we provide quality sensor components for accurate and reliable output that they can depend on for this critical service.

The various types of equipment and vehicles used for different functions of waste management must perform at high standards ensure the safety of users and consumers. It also is a requirement in maintaining the proper use, production and sanitation tasks related to storage, treatment, reuse, recycling, and disposal. The following are a couple of application notes that highlight the use of Interface products utilized by our customers that are in the waste management industry.

WASTE MANAGEMENT CONTAINER WEIGHING

A waste management company wanted to measure the capacity of their waste containers to know when it is time to dispose the waste. Interface provided Model WTS 1200 Standard Precision LowProfile™ Wireless Load Cells to be installed at the bottom of each waste container leg to measure the sum weight of the container. The real time weight data is then transmitted to the WTS-BS-4 USB Industrial Base Station with the supplied Log100 software. Using this solution, the customer was able to determine when their waste container was at full capacity to dispose of the waste, or to transfer it in a timely manner.  Read more here.

GARBAGE TRUCK ON-BOARD WEIGHING

When a garbage disposal company wanted to test the load capacity of their garbage truck bins to know when it has reached maximum capacity, they reached out to Interface to suggest a system that could provide data in real time. Interface’s solution was to customize and install four SSB Sealed Beam Load Cells under the garbage box body, on either side. When trash continues to be piled inside the box body, it will push more force down onto the SSB Sealed Beam Load Cells. When maximum load capacity has been reached, the results can be reviewed and displayed when connected to the 482 Battery Powered Bidirectional Weight Indicator in real time. Using this customized system, the customer was able to test the maximum load capacity of the garbage bin attached to the truck, so they know when to empty the truck’s garbage at the transfer station. Learn more here.

We offer off-the-shelf solutions to the waste management industry suppliers and equipment manufacturers. We can build to custom products based on exact specifications for one or many devices to fit every vehicle or for testing functions in the lab. Success happens when we work directly with our customers get the best products in hand for their unique requirements.

To learn more about how Interface serves the waste management industry, or any of the other industries we serve, please check out our solutions overview here.

Interface Solutions for Weighing Applications

Interface sensors are used for a wide variety of test and measurement applications. We supply different technologies and instrumentation for a range of weighing applications, from packaging to waste management. Determining accurate weight is a key data point that manufacturers in all types of industry rely upon, whether in design, testing or packaging. Whether they need the information for transporting an object, lifting the object, or just creating a specification sheet, accurate data on weight measurements is fundamental for safety and function.

Here is a quick review of some weighing applications, everything from the food and beverage industry to agriculture and industrial. And it’s important to note, weighing across these different industries doesn’t always involve a simple scale. Each object, large or small, that needs to be weighed has a different method for doing so and different force sensors to get the most accurate data built into machines or used in conjunction with other hardware components.

SNACK WEIGHING AND PACKAGING MACHINE

A snack manufacturing brand wanted to weigh the amount of their snacks that are automatically dispersed into the bags during the packaging process. In this case, they wanted to weigh the potato chips being packaged and ensure the potato chips are at the exact weight needed due to regulatory standards. Interface provided a solution using multiple SPI Platform Scale Load Cells, and installed it to the potato multi-head weigher and packaging machine. The SPI Platform Scale Load cells were installed inside of the mount that attaches the head weigher to the packaging machine. Force results from the potato chips were read by the load cells and sent to the ISG Isolated DIN Rail Mount Signal Conditioner, where the customer is able to control the automated production from their command center. Using this solution, the customer was able to determine the weight of the potato chips being distributed into their bags with highly accurate results. They  were able to control the automated production process with the provided instrumentation. They will use this same weighing method for other snacks that need to be packaged. Read more here.

WASTE MANAGEMENT CONTAINER WEIGHING

When a waste management company wanted to measure the capacity of their waste containers in order to know when it is time to dispose of the waste. Interface proposed a solution using our WTS 1200 Standard Precision LowProfile™ Wireless Load Cells. The load cells can be installed at the bottom of each waste container leg to measure the total weight of the container. The data is transmitted to the WTS-BS-4 USB Industrial Base Station with the supplied Log100 software. The customer would then be able to determine when their waste container was at full capacity in order to dispose of the waste, or to transfer it. Read more here.

GARBAGE TRUCK ON-BOARD WEIGHING

A garbage disposal company wanted to test the load capacity of their garbage truck bins to know when it has reached maximum capacity. Interface’s solution is to customize and install four SSB Sealed Beam Load Cells under the garbage box body, on either side. When trash continues to be piled inside the box body, it will push more force down onto the SSB Sealed Beam Load Cells. When maximum load capacity has been reached, the results can be reviewed and displayed when connected to the 482 Battery Powered Bidirectional Weight Indicator in real time. Using this solution, the customer was able to test the maximum load capacity of the garbage bin attached to the truck, so they know when to empty the truck’s garbage at the transfer station. Read more here.

MEDICAL BAG WEIGHING

In the medical industry, it is important to monitor the amount of material in a medical bag carrying fluids for an IV. Medical staff also need to know if a medical bag is empty or if the dispensing tubes are blocked. Force measurements can track the weight with precision. Using Interface Model MB Miniature Beam or MBP Miniature Beam with built-in overload protection combined with Interface instrumentation, force readings can be captured, displayed and stored for this need. Health professionals can then review and monitor medical bag’s weight to ensure medicine is properly dispensed and alert when the bag needs to be replaced when empty.

Weighing applications are at the foundation of measurement. The earliest force sensors were designed for this purpose, and they continue to be a large part of application testing today. The only difference between now and then is that Interface has nearly perfected their accuracy across different applications with different types of force sensors measuring very large weight and very small, minute forces.

ADDITIONAL WEIGHING APPLICATIONS

Chicken Weighing

Silo Monitoring and Weighing

Crane Force Regulation

Water Bottle Dispensing and Weighing

To learn more about Interface weighing applications and other applications of our load cells, torque transducers, multi-axis sensors and more, contact us today.