Types of 70-ton truck weighing scales
The scales can be sorted into three categories based on their configurations.
Pit-type scales
A pit-type scale is one whose weighing pan is housed in a pit that is partly embedded in the ground. About a buried concrete slab serving as the measuring beam's support, which passes through the pit's floor. Such a construction provides stability, making these scales usable even for continual heavy truck traffic and long-term exposure to the weather. However, installing a large-scale pit type often involves a major civil construction project.
Portable scales
As these names imply, the portable scales are designed to be shifted from place to place. Most have ramps at either end, making them suitable for temporary inspections of vehicle weight. The scales work without needing a pit, so they're great for quick setup at construction sites, pits, or mines. But portable scales often don't have the same high-capacity weighing accuracy as fixed ones.
Axle weighting scales
These scales are designed for weighing only one end of a truck at a time. Comparing the total weight of each dual axle with an individual reading yields the truck's overall weight, enhancing weighing efficiency. These scales find use in industries like agriculture and log transport, where vehicles often operate on limited weight capacity per axle. Despite their narrower focus, axle scales are crucial in assisting businesses in conforming to transport weight regulations.
Important functions and features of the 70-ton truck weighing scale
Weighing scales incorporate a mix of high-tech features designed to meet tough weighing conditions while remaining easy for the operator. Some of the typical key features include:
- High weighing capacity: Truck scales are constructed to weigh large objects like trucks and trailers that may top the scales at 70 tons or more. Often, with platforms designed specifically for large concentrations of mechanical strength, the scales survive the weight of the very heaviest vehicles used in mining, construction, and transportation. The scale's capacity is the maximum load it can weigh without compromising its accuracy or security. A scale rated at 70,000 kg can endure an enormous truck's full weight without any deformation or other changes that might distort the reading on lighter vehicles.
- Sustainability against harsh conditions: Typical of their use outdoors, truck scales are usually built to endure rain, shine, and anything in between. The electronic components are sealed to prevent water damage, while thick steel construction protects the load cells from shock or crushing effects. Some models even have extra coatings to ward off rust formation. The result is a reliable weighing device that can stay functional despite continuous exposure to the elements.
- Radiant digital display: Digital truck scales offer a more practical and efficient way of weighing trucks compared to older analog systems. The heavier the truck, the more light segments will appear on the digital display panel to indicate weight. These numerical weight values will be displayed continuously and automatically as truck scales provide weight information. Most digital displays also allow users to select a specific truck and key in target values for that particular vehicle. The display can show the value of the actual weight of that truck in large light segments. However, the scale can also calculate the values of the two remaining display segments: a number that shows how far the truck is from being overweight and a quotient number that reflects how much the scale's sensors are reading unevenly distributed and how balanced the truck's weight is. Both the overweigh and load balance displays will be in small light segments. In this way, digital truck scales strive to ensure truck weight is even and does not exceed manufacturer's recommended standards.
- Weighbridge design: The weighbridge is the scale's key component. All truck scales include a weighbridge constructed around the principles of mechanical strength to support the maximum weight of the heaviest vehicles. Weighbridges are normally long enough to allow entire trucks to drive onto them without overhanging front or rear axles. The floor surface incorporates grooves to enhance the truck's surface grip and stop slipping or skidding. Weighbridges are fabricated from thick steel, so strong that even the hardest bulldozer or tractor trailer cannot possibly distort or bend the heavy metal plates that form the bridge. Some models have extra strength members such as cross bracing or tension rods that extend the scale's ability to bear extremely large concentrated weights.
Commercial use cases of the 70-ton truck weighing scale
- Quarries: Truck scales used in quarries provide the crucial data demanded for effective mineral transportation. By measuring both loaded and empty truck weights, these scales compute the exact cargo mass that is moved. This data is essential for enhancing dispatching, determining the precise amount of materials carried per journey, and avoiding truck overloads that might result in damage. Moreover, by integrating with automated ticketing systems, weighing procedures are efficiently managed without delaying the truck's flow.
- Farm: Truck scales are also found on farms, playing a vital role in the transportation of bulk goods like grains and fertilizers. Axle scales help ensure trucks stay within legal weight limits by measuring the weight on each axle. This not only improves compliance but also aids in optimizing loading processes and reducing highway wear.
- Logistics centers: In logistics facilities, weighing trucks before and after loading verifies shipment accuracy and prevents costly weight disparities that could invite fines or safer issues during transit. Integrated scales are often coupled with computer systems that automatically capture weights and generate essential shipping documentation devoid of needless delay.
- Mines: Scale systems in open-pit and underground mining operations ensure truckloads either empty or full are accurately measured. Without weighing, overloading can cause equipment breakdowns while underutilization goes on - both scenarios resulting in lose indeed as time and resources are wasted carrying less material per trip than is possible or incurring penalties from weight excess.
- Recycling facilities: Scales handle variable loads during eco-friendly activities like paper and metal recycling. Much like in waste management firms, both the incoming and outgoing trucks get weighed so that comprehensive reports on the weights of each recyclable material processed annually are generated. These statistics are crucial for both internal operations and compliance with environmental legislation.
How to choose the 70-ton truck weighing scale
Many business owners believe there is only one type of weight scale used for trucks when in reality, there are different kinds suitable for a variety of truck weighing needs. In this way, selecting the right truck-scale will depend upon two important factors: the amount of weight that will be sustained and the method of achieving that weight. These are some of the main aspects that should be catered for when choosing a scale for trucks.
The platform size should be suitable to the truck's length. Truck scales come in various lengths and widths to accommodate the different sizes of trucks that will drive across the platform. If the scale is too short, the entire truck wouldn't fit on the platform, which would skew the readings. At best, only the front or back axle would be on the platform, resulting in an incomplete and inaccurate weight assessment. A platform that is long and wide enough for the entire truck to completely rest on will yield the most accurate weight readings. If the truck is towing a trailer, the scale should be at least long enough to accommodate the entire vehicle-trailer combination. The platform should also be wide enough to match the truck's wheel spacing.
The weighing capacity must also be considered. Just as important to the platform size, the scale's weighing capacity needs to be equal to or greater than the weight of the largest truck that will drive over the scale. The scale's weighing capacity is measured in weight units, such as pounds or kilograms. For example, a scale that has a capacity of 70 thousand pounds can accurately weigh any truck that weighs underground 70 thousand pounds. For even more accuracy, the actual weight of the truck should be no more than 1/6 of the scale's maximum capacity. If the scale's capacity is exceeded, although, the results will be inaccurate. To avoid this problem from happening, a high-capacity scale should be used. This allows the scale to sustain large trucks without hitting its maximum weighing limit.
In addition to these technical considerations, how the scale will be powered should also be taken into account. There are truck scales that are electrically powered, some that are powered by hydraulic methods, and some that are mechanical in nature. The choice of a certain type will mostly depend on its future use. For long-term use, electrical or a hydraulic scale would be the most appropriate option, but for a quick temperature check, a mechanical scale would work just fine. All these should be taken into account to ensure the type of scale chosen is the most effective for the space available and the best for the specific requirements.
Q&A
Q1: Are truck scales accurate when weighing the largest trucks?
A1: Truck scales are designed to provide accuracy for all vehicle sizes. The scales are equipped with load cells that distribute weight evenly across the platform to improve precision even on large concentrated loads.
Q2: Can trucks with trailers be weighed using a single scale?
A2: The truck scales have been sized sufficiently to accommodate both the vehicle and the towed trailer. The large length of the platform allows for the complete truck and trailer combination to fit and enables accurate weight measurement.
Q3: Do truck scales work in bad weather?
A3: Yes, truck scales in extreme weather are built for reliable performance. Seals and coatings protect sensitive parts from rain, snow, heat, and dust so that weight readings remain correct under any conditions.
Q4: How is overloaded truck weight detected?
A4: Digital scales have large displays showing cautionary messages if overloading occurs. Sensors monitor weight on each axle and overall; warnings appear before legal limits are surpassed.
Q5: Can the scale function without electricity?
A5: Many truck scales require no electrical power through mechanical or hydraulic methods that provide weighing capability in case of a power outage.
