From Rusty to Ready: Upgrading a Gravel Yard Scale for Efficiency

The existing scale at the customer’s gravel yard presented a multi-faceted challenge. First, its low placement relative to the natural water runoff resulted in chronic water pooling underneath the platform, leading to accelerated internal corrosion. Second, the constant movement of heavy-duty vehicles transporting aggregate materials resulted in significant dirt and debris buildup both on and below the scale deck. This necessitated frequent cleaning, impacting operational efficiency and creating downtime. Third, the existing rails did not meet MSHA safety standards for gravel yards, and finally, the scale lacked the capability to seamlessly transmit gross weight data to the company’s two separate PC software programs used for inventory management. A comprehensive solution was needed to address these issues and ensure smooth, compliant operations.

A complete overhaul by UniFideCST addressed the issues plaguing the gravel yard’s scale. First, a new 70 x 11 foot steel deck was installed above ground, eliminating the water pooling problem and improving accessibility for cleaning. Textured, non-slip paint provided added safety while double-high rails ensured compliance with MSHA regulations.

Next, UniFideCST’s engineers devised a unique, effective solution to minimize dirt and debris reaching the scale. A separate 30-ton per axle dirt grate, built on its own dedicated foundation, was positioned before the scale approach. This ingenious design ensured the scale remains free of large debris, promoting long-term accuracy and reliability. This grate, complete with tall rails for visibility had ample space for easy cleanout. Additionally, T-Grip seals were installed at the gap between the scale deck and foundation for further protection.

To solve the data collection and transmission issues, a 1280 programmable indicator with a dual-channel expansion card allowed for seamless data transmission of gross weights to the company’s existing inventory management software on two separate PCs. Finally, an IQube2 diagnostic junction box was included to alert operators of failing load cells and even compensate for a single bad cell by averaging the weight from remaining functional cells, ensuring continued accurate measurements while minimizing downtime.

2024

Aggregate construction

Truck scale and software solutions