Without instrumentation, your weighbridge is useless
Once you have selected the weighbridge that fits the needs of your activity and the requirements of your environment, it is time to choose the instrumentation that will allow you to use your weighing installation.
You must consider the daily use of your weighbridge, and in particular who will be using it:
- Will there be a dedicated weighing operator?
- Will the driver conduct the operation themselves?
- Will the identification of the vehicles and the various associated elements (driver identity, company, type of material, empty weight, etc.) be automated?
- Should international vehicle traffic and foreign drivers be considered?
The use and the type of users will determine the type of instrumentation to be used in the installation of your weighbridge.
Weighing indicator or access control terminal?
There are different types of instruments for different uses and different users.
The weighing terminal (or weighing indicator) is the first instrument that comes to mind when installing a weighbridge. Easy to install and use, it displays the vehicle weight on a small box. This solution is ideal when an operator is in charge of reading the data and when these data do not need to be recorded in databases. The simple indication of the weight is enough to ensure the continuity of the activity.
Depending on the model, the weighing indicator can take care of the entire weighing operation or be connected to your weighbridge management software solution if you have one. The whole solution, terminal and software, will then allow you to keep a history and ensure the traceability of your weighing data in compliance with regulatory requirements.
When associated with a weighing operation, the access control terminal is a real all-in-one tool: control access to your site through various means (number plate reading, badge, operator action), weigh vehicles entering and/or leaving the site, print tickets directly and store all this data in your weighbridge management software.
Automation with access control terminals allows you to free yourself from the constraints of managing access to your site while ensuring the traceability and safety of data from weighing operations carried out on your weighbridges. The terminal will be particularly appreciated on sites receiving multiple users (such as waste collection sites), or requiring the prior identification of these users (via a specific badge for example). Often multilingual, they allow drivers who speak different languages to identify themselves easily without requiring assistance from an operator.
Accessories
Various accessories can be added to your weighbridge. To manage traffic around and on the weighbridge, you can install traffic lights, speed bumps and gates controlled by the operator, or the access terminal, or even guide rails to help drivers correctly position themselves on the platforms.
You can also install remote displays which will allow drivers to see the weight of their vehicle from the cab of their truck, thereby limiting the movement of people on site. Note that this device is often mandatory: the fact that the driver can check that the weighing terminal displays “zero” before the vehicle gets on the weighbridge is a regulatory requirement.
It is also possible to install number plate recognition cameras to ensure both the security of your site and the identification of incoming and outgoing vehicles in a fully automatic way.
To learn more, check out our buying guide: 4 questions to choose your weighbridge!