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Weighbridge Maintenance

Weighbridge Maintenance Tips

Weighbridges work for long hours. They are also exposed to all kinds of weather, which makes them susceptible to wear and tear. Regular cleaning and maintenance can ensure that yours gives accurate results and serve you for many years. This article will highlight some tips to help you clean and maintain your weighbridge, as recommended by top electronic weighbridge manufacturers.

Weighbridges are an essential part of road transportation and logistics. They are the validating force between cost and load weight by providing an accurate way to measure the truck weights and loads. A weighbridge can mean the difference between profits and losses for companies spanning across all industries. This is why the importance of maintaining their reliability and performance can never be overstated.

What’s a weighbridge?

Simply put, a weighbridge is a large type of scale that measures the weight of large items – like trucks or sizeable content. It is typically installed on the concrete surface and has an electronic tracker that displays the content’s weight. With that in mind, let’s now look at some weighbridge maintenance tips.

Invest in a quality weighbridge

The first and perhaps the most crucial step is to get quality weighbridges. Weighbridges come in varying qualities. So, it’s best to do thorough research before investing in one. Take time to compare the top electronic weighbridge manufactures and determine who has a reputation of delivering highly effective and durable weighbridges, and buy from them.

Invest in good installation

Weighbridges are installed on the surface of concrete floors. But this is no job for an amateur. You need a well-trained and experienced specialist to handle the task for you. It is better to pay extra money on expert installation than to skimp and end up damaging the weighbridge. Proper installation ensures that the weighbridge is well secured in place and that it’s not exposed to adverse conditions – like rain and floods – that will affect the weighing process.

Perform daily inspection

This might seem like a lot of work, but it usually isn’t. And even if it was, daily inspection is essential in ensuring that your weighbridge remains in stellar working conditions. The daily assessment involves visual inspection of the pit under the truck scale to see whether there are any residues or dirt and mud that may affect functionality and performance. If you spot any buildup on the surface, you want to ensure that it is removed in a careful way – to avoid damaging any connection cables.

Perform some weekly weighing checks

You want to do some weekly tests to uncover any potential problems with your scale’s mechanic. Do this by placing a car at one end of the platform, then the middle, and in the opposite end and noting down the measurements. You can then analyze the data to see if there is any difference across the platform. Of course, you may notice small variances, but if it’s anything more than three divisions apart, you should call a specialist to fix the issue.

Check the platform for any movement

You should do this monthly – measure the platform to identify any variance in its positioning in relation to the last calibration. No action is needed if everything is as it was – but if there’s any significant movement to its positioning, then you should call a specialist.

Perform regular checks

An electronic weighbridge has many functional parts, and any slight issue can result in wrong readings, among other issues. Regular checks can allow you to spot any problems before they develop into a big problem that would cost you a lot of money. It is in your best interest to have an expert run the regular checks and inspections, especially on limiters and cabling. This is because they have a professional eye that won’t miss anything. Again, these checks should be regular, irrespective of whether there’s an evident problem or not.

Perform regular cleaning

Regular cleaning is critical as it ensures that dirt, debris, and other elements don’t accumulate on the weighbridge’s surfaces and monitor. If the weighbridge is not clean, the residue can interfere with performance and longevity – all of which can cost your business lots of money. Use a jet washer to clean your weighbridge platform along with the underside of the platform. But you should be careful to avoid hitting the load cells or letting water into the junction box. If you are not good at this, it might be a great idea to have a specialist clean it for you.

Conclusion

Cleaning and maintaining your weighbridge has plenty of benefits. It not only ensures accurate readings, improved reliability, and fewer engineer call outs, it also helps you get the most value out of the system. Buying a weighbridge is a huge undertaking. The best way to protect this kind of investment is through thorough cleaning and maintenance. And with our tips, you should not have a problem doing just that.