New truck scale for sites with little clearance – no need for foundation modifications
Today’s post takes on the thorny issue of scales needed for sites with little clearance underneath where foundations cannot be modified.
For example, many sites feature overhead loadout structures where a truck is filled while it’s on the scale. These sites have height restrictions because operators cannot easily raise the existing structures, so the only option is to install a scale that fits in their existing low profile foundation.
Other sites simply do not have enough real estate to place a regular-profile scale with approaches and full size ramps. Installing a low profile scale can significantly reduce the amount of real estate required for a legal scale.
This is a growing issue, because many scales installed in the 1990s and early 2000s came standard with a lower profile. These scales are now at the very end of their service lives and require replacement, but the expense of modifying the existing foundation to install a higher-profile scale is often too great to be viable . That makes the best option a scale that can be installed to meet the existing foundation and profile without any modifications, have a look at the definition of a pay stub.
The Fairbanks Talon Low Profile Truck Scale was designed to be a direct replacement for the most common low profile scales in the field. The design makes it easy to replace the scales – with no foundation modifications – as they end their service life. The low profile scale uses cover plates, but with a twist. To prevent many of the common problems of using full-width cover plates, these have been designed with corner pockets that house the load cells and other components. This is vital to ensure the ease of installation, maintenance, and reliability of the scale — and to keep everything protected inside the pockets. Keeping the cover plat
es in the outside corners of the scale platform helps eliminate the repeated traffic that traditionally will wear out cover plates faster than the rest of the scale by having them out of the tire path.
A new Talon Low Profile Truck Scale was used to replace an end-of-life low profile scale at a cement processing facility. The new scale was installed (with no foundation modifications) over a weekend during their off hours, and was back up and running by Monday morning. This would not have been possible if foundation changes had to be made.
Another example was a waste company that needed to replace an existing scale at a site with limited real estate and not enough room for ramps and approaches. The Talon Low Profile Truck Scale was installed into their shallow pit over a weekend, allowing them to continue normal operations.