I asked Markus Weimer, Product Manager for Weighing Systems at MOBA to give us some insights on common weighing application questions.

Question: What are typical weighing applications?

Answer: In principle there are three different reasons what people use mobile weighing systems for:

• Charging by weight
• Overload protection
• Use in production process

Question: What problem does it solve for the customer?

Answer: It weighs real-time as you pick up material at your customer-side; it enables, depending on the weighing system (legal for trade or indication of weight) to charge by weight or provides a weight value that can be compared to charges. This can tell you if you charge enough by each customer to offset your costs. In general, a weighing system saves time and fuel especially when included with a routing system.

In detail it prevents overloading which saves (first of all) life and health – secondly defends you against being fined with high penalties for too heavy loads and third makes your truck last longer. In the production process a mobile weighing-system, for example, mounted on a forklift-truck in a foundry, can save significant time and supports and an efficient production process.

Question: How accurate do each of these systems need to be?

Answer: The needed accuracy is different depending on the application. A overload limitation usually has an accuracy of about +/- 1 to 3 % of the complete load. An approved system like a legal for trade system for example has to fulfill special requirements. Approved systems have to fit within the appropriate scale class.

High accuracy on mobile weighing systems require a slope-sensor and high resolution signal conditioner. The accurate mounting of the mechanical parts and brackets and the load cells itself are essential to measure accurate.

Question: What is the difference between a static, dynamic and legal for trade scale and what are the common applications for each one of these?

Answer: Dynamic scales are often used where productivity and time-saving are the number 1 priority. These weighing systems have to be fairly accurate in average within a 3% window. The challenge is here to have a consistent weight during loading. Therefore the system is integrated in the lift arms of, for example, waste disposal trucks. By measuring the load, the acceleration and the speed of the lifter, results.can be optimized. Reliable electronics and a defined environment is essential.

Static systems are best utilized for lower weighing quantities (in waste disposal business) or if you use the system for up-front determined amounts. Best example for a static system is a body-scale where the complete body of a truck is on a weighing system. If you got a Silo-truck with such a body-scale you can unload your goods (like grains for example) at delivery and invoice the weight at later time. Each scale that is used to charge based on weight, has to be calibrated and is considered a legal for trade scale.

Question: Are these universal requirements or do they vary from country to country? What certification is needed in different countries and what are they for?

Answer: If you want to market an approved weighing system, you need a validation wherein the system is described and which is certified by an official institution. The requirements, or the objectives that have to be fulfilled, are similar. However, there are slight variations from country to country and sometimes from state to state.

Question: In what range of complexity do weighing systems come and where do they make most sense?

Answer: By using mobile weighing systems combined with identification and tracking systems, you need an intelligent system to handle the data. This offers a big range of options. A good example is a waste truck with an on-board weighing system and a GPS identification system. The system identifies the customer by GPS location, adds the weighing data and send it automatically to a server where it can be further processed. The operator does not have to do anything and the data is available in real-time, worldwide.

Thank you Markus, for the great information!

What would you like to know about weighing system applications? What are the biggest challenges in your opinion? How does it help you in your daily work life? Share your thoughts!