Before you spend money on a new truck scale, why not ask yourself twelve key questions below. Once you can answer these questions, purchasing a truck scale should be much easier.
1. What size scale do you need? a common answer is 11 ft x 70 ft.
2. Type of deck you need? Steel or Concrete
3. Type of scale interested in? OTR ATV SR PT or other model
4. Foundation already exist or do you need a new one? Continue reading
We’re just about ready to head into the busy summer months. In a lot of cases, it is also a busy time for your truck scales. Spring is the best time to get the following maintenance done, because all the melting snow (in some areas) creating running water, mud and muck can wreak havoc on your truck scale operations; washing debris into pits and foundations, and damaging equipment. Not to mention the critters who have taken up residence over the long winter. We recommend completing the following steps in late spring to ensure you are up and running in time for the busy summer season. Continue reading
You don’t have to look at too many truck scale brochures to become thoroughly confused about what’s available and what is and isn’t important to you. Full-length truck scales may be of either portable or permanent installation. Portable truck scales include a lower framework that is placed on a prepared surface (either a concrete slab, wooden beams, or even dirt) and ramps are placed at either end for access.
Portable scales are generally more expensive because of the lower framework but are much easier to move from site to site and are ideal for contractors or road builders. Scales that are permanently mounted may be mounted either in a pit (like the basement of a home) or of an above-ground low profile design where the scale is mounted on a concrete slab with ramps at either end. The advantages of a pit type scale Continue reading
According to Handbook 44, all approaches for any type of NTEP-certified, legal-for-trade truck scales shall be 10′ long, flat, level, the width of the scale and constructed of concrete. The ramps plus the approach must be at least half as long as the scale, but no more than 40′. Continue reading
Cardinal Scale’s truck scale manufacturing processes was featured in a Fall 2008 episode of cable TV’s popular program “How It’s Made” airing on the Science Channel. The segment details the production of a 70-foot-long electronic Cardinal truck scale. Beginning on a microscopic level with the creation of the strain gauges that reside in the scale’s load cells, the educational program charts the manufacturing course of a Cardinal model EPR truck scale.
It proceeds to show the welding processes involved in the steel tubing and load cell stands, the powder paint process, and final assembly where the finished truck scale is shown with test weights being applied to measure its superb accuracy.
The episode first aired in November 2008 and will be translated into over 3 dozen different languages to be shown internationally. One of the reasons Cardinal was asked to participate on the show was worldwide brand name Continue reading
Concentrated Load Capacity, or CLC, is an industry recognized rating of a vehicle or axle load scale. The rating defines the maximum load for which the weighbridge is designed as applied by a group of two axles with a center line spaced 4 feet apart and an axle width 8 feet apart. When a CLC load is applied to the weighbridge during a National Type Evaluation Program test, the NTEP tester records the displayed weight. If the scale falls within accepted testing tolerances, the scale has that CLC weight value recorded as the CLC on the Certificate of Conformance.
The CLC rating is not a measure of weighbridge strength or rigidity, because weighbridge deflection is not measured in the NTEP test. It is irrelevant if the load weighbridge sags 1/10th of an inch, or 10 inches, as long as the scale weighs within the accepted tolerance. The scale’s CLC weight rating passes in either case. A high CLC rating could be given to an extremely flexible deck sitting on load cell mounts which are capable of accurately handling the side loading resulting from a severely sagging weighbridge.
The Rice Lake SURVIVOR truck scale line boasts a 45 ton (90,000 pounds) CLC rating. With most legal highway weight limits being a fraction of Rice Lake’s rating, owners of a SURVIVOR scale can expect a long lifespan through Continue reading
Truck Scale Indicator
Cardinal’s 225 Navigator features transflective technology which allows the display to be viewed under any lighting conditions from direct sunlight to total darkness. One-inch-high (25 mm) weight characters make viewing easy. View up to 3 scales with total weight simultaneously with the optional dual scale input board; no special software is needed with Cardinal 225 Navigator digital weight indicator.
Entering, viewing, and storing truck names is easy with the 225 Navigator’s convenient Truck ID menu. Complete alphanumeric descriptions for truck and material prompts make storing and recalling tare weight values quick and simple.
The structural integrity of the truck scale weighbridge is the single most important consideration in the purchase of any truck scale. A failing weighbridge results in continuous problems that can only be solved with replacement. Rice Lake Weighing Systems standard model truck scales are comprised of beams spaced no further than 12 inches from center line or 8 inches from the edge of one flange to the next. This design ensures that a truck tire is on an I-beam at all times and never between.
Concrete Deck
While 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 yields better traction with rain and snow. Because of their design, concrete decks distribute the load over a wider area than steel decks. Rice Lake SURVIVOR® Series concrete deck truck scales are poured at the job site and typically have cure strength of 4,000 PSI at 28 days. The concrete is reinforced with steel rods and a minimum of two wide-flange main beams and seven wide-flange beams below. The Rice Continue reading