Monthly Archives: January 2015

Video Example of Truck In & Truck Out With Scale Printer

Posted on by

One of the more popular digital weight indicators currently available is the Rice Lake 720i Programmable Indicator/Controller. While not as robust as the legendary 920i this indicator is a great choice for many truck scale operators who are looking for easy to use simplicity.

The 720i from Rice Lake is an economical choice for those looking to increase functionality and simplicity. Make no mistake, this is an advanced intelligent indicators but it’s not quite the same level as the 920i so most users develop a level of comfort using it fairly quickly. From basic weighing and data collection to recipe formulation, inventory management and traceability, customers have grown to love the Rice Lake’s 720i. Advanced programmability is available using ProAction (PCEE) and enhanced data base storage make the 720i ideal for a wide variety of weighing applications. The indicator is available in both universal and panel-mount configurations.

In the entry today we wanted to share a video with you. In this video you will see an actual demonstration of a truck scale in/out using a ticket printer. Over the years we have had quite a few folks ask us for this basic overview of a typical truck transaction using a ticket printer. In this example we are using a Rice Lake 720i weight indicator and the process can be slightly different, depending on which indicator you’re using and how it has been set up.

As you can see in the example, we have a blank ticket in the printer and a truck drives on the scale empty. His weight is 20,000 pounds. We press the Weigh In key, assign him an ID number and press print. The truck then pulls off the scale. Now when the truck returns, loaded this time he drives back onto the scale and his weight is displayed as 50,000 pounds. We press the Weigh Out button and enter our same ID number that we used earlier and press the print key. Now you can take a look at the print out and see everything that was printed. The time and date are there along with the ID number. You also see the original empty weight of the truck listed as the tare weight which is 20,000 lbs. You see the net weight of product that was added to the truck which is 30,000 lbs. Finally you see the gross weight which is the total weight of the truck and the product which is 50,000 lbs.

As you can see, the truck in / truck out process for vehicle scales is pretty straightforward. Scale operators will need some training and it’s always a good idea to have a laminated quick start instruction guide handy as well.

Truck Scale Cost Justification Guide

Posted on by

We were reading the cost justification guide from Cardinal Scale recently and they brought up a good point. It is surprising how many truck scales are manufactured by one company and use load cells from yet another company and a digital weight indicator from yet another company. So if something breaks, where does responsibility for the scale begin and end with each manufacturer? Cardinal Scale Manufacturing is one of the very few companies that manufactures not only the scale weighbridge structure but the load cells and instrumentation that go with it to complete the scale. With Cardinal you really do have single source responsibility and reliability. If you’re thinking about a Cardinal Truck Scale or better yet thinking about going with a hydraulic truck scale, read here.

◾As previously mentioned, lightning and water are the two most common sources of load cell failure. Often truck scales are placed in locations subject to flooding or are subjected to routine high-pressure washings. While digital and analog load cells are sealed against the entry of moisture, they often fail due to damage to a seal or abrasion of a cable jacket allowing entry of moisture. Analog and digital load cells are both subject to lightning damage. The extremely small strands on a strain gauge are especially sensitive to voltage surges. Hydraulic load cells have neither strain gauges nor electrical wire and are immune to damage from both water and lightning. If your scale will be in a location subject to spring time thunderstorms, you should give serious consideration to Cardinal’s Guardian hydraulic load cells.

◾Guardian hydraulic load cells operate by sensing weight via fluid pressure, which means that they require no power within the scale itself. You won’t lose any operational time when lightning or other power issues strike at the scale location. Guardian load cells carry a lifetime warranty against lightning and power surges.

◾Unfortunately, it is a fact of life that if something can be overloaded, it will. Same goes for shock loading on a truck scale. Whether you’re filling trucks with rock or ore, shock loading will take place. Both analog and digital load cells use a steel spring element to sense the load. Applying a shock load, even one less than the capacity of the load cell, can and will cause permanent damage to the load cell rendering it unusable. Cardinal’s Guardian hydraulic load cells, on the other hand, act much like a shock absorber on your automobile dissipating the shock load in the hydraulic fluid.

â—¾Hydraulic tubing from the load cells is terminated at the scale house by a non-conducting Goodyear rubber line. This creates an important barrier of protection, preventing lightning from traveling into the scale house where your load-sensing digital weight display is located.

◾If you’ve ever experienced costly downtime and repairs due to lightning or a power surge, the Guardian hydraulic truck scale can help you save in the future.

We can definitely confirm to you that customers are buying hydraulic truck scales. Yes, they are more expensive than traditional truck scales with analog load cells but for quite a few customers, they feel the added costs up front are worth it. Lightning and water are the two most common sources of load cell failure. Often truck scales are placed in locations subject to flooding or are subjected to routine high-pressure washings. While digital and analog load cells are sealed against the entry of moisture, they often fail due to damage to a seal or abrasion of a cable jacket allowing entry of moisture. Analog and digital load cells are both subject to lightning damage. The extremely small strands on a strain gauge are especially sensitive to voltage surges. Hydraulic load cells have neither strain gauges nor electrical wire and are immune to damage from both water and lightning. If your scale will be in a location subject to spring time thunderstorms, you should give serious consideration to Cardinal’s Guardian hydraulic load cells.