If you are in the transport, or import and export business, you would already know the importance of the weighbridges, the large set of scales designed to measure the large vehicles and machinery. They are predominantly used within the transportation department of the businesses to check the weight of bulk items of considerable amounts, such as trucks and larger vehicles carrying goods. So, before you choose a weighbridge, it is very important to have a clear understanding of everything related to the weighbridge and its calibration.

How Do Weighbridges Work?

One of the most important things you want to keep in mind while choosing the right weighbridges is to know how they work. If talking about the business use, the weighbridges disperse the entire weight into three sections:

Net Weight (weight remained when Tare Weight is subtracted from the Gross Weight)

Tare Weight (weight of unloaded truck)

Gross Weight (weight of a loaded truck)

When businesses need to load their vehicles to maximum capacity, it is essential to keep compliance in mind. The load capacities being measured on the axles of the weighbridge must be compliant with the road regulations. Whether your company is purchasing or selling inventory, the information collated from a weighbridge such as a truck scale is crucial due to later being used for legal compliance.

So let’s know how you can choose the right weighbridge for your business:

Be clear about the purpose of the equipment - When you look for the best weighbridges, you can find a wide range of them out there. This makes it very important that you have a close understanding of your specific requirements. Before making any decision, check the type of weighbridges you need and the type of vehicles you want to weigh. The dimension of the truck that it will go through here is a very important aspect to keep in mind. Choosing the weighbridge that presents the ideal size, reach, division and materials should meet your weighing needs.

Load Cells - This is g technical and not many people know about the weighbridges. The load cells known as the censors are helpful in measuring the weight of the scale and are a vital structural component. In simple words, it is the load cells are that support the weighbridges, and they can come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Make sure to go through the types of load cells of the weighbridge before you make the final choice.

Concrete or steel platform weighbridge - There are two common types of weighbridges; concrete and steel platform bridges. Tradition weighbridges with steel platforms are quite easy to install and can be customized to match your specific requirements. On the other hand, if we talk about the ones that come with a concrete foundation,  they are more durable and more affordable, offering greater longevity. Every business planning to install the weighbridges must ensure having a good understanding of every type of weighbridge before reaching the final decision. Both the concrete and steel platform weighbridges are available as both pit-type and surface-mounted weighbridges.

Manufacturing pedigree - The way a weighbridge is made or manufactured plays a very important role in its quality. This is what makes it important to have a close look at the manufacturing process of the weighbridge, which can be done by connecting with the manufacturer, who can also demonstrate the quality of the key components and materials used in their weighbridges. It makes sense that the weighbridges are CE marked as this shows they conform to the latest EN1090 requirements for constructional steel.

Weighbridge service and support - No matter how good the weighbridge you purchase from a reliable manufacturing company is , there are always chances that there can be some technical issues for which you will need the help of the specialists. This is why it is important to deal with a company that offers good and timely service and support, like dealing with the weighbridge calibration and other technical issues. Remember that these weighbridges work day-in-day-out in some of the harshest environments. So, they must be maintained through timely service from the specialists in the industry. The manufacturing company should have a good team of trained and qualified engineers to ensure the weighbridge system operates efficiently and accurately. Make sure that you set up a tailor-made service agreement from the service provider to have your weighbridge serviced on time without any delay.

Weighbridge software and data management - All the weighbridges are operated using advanced technology and software. Even a minor issue in the software can affect the performance of the weighbridge to a great extent. When you have a weighbridge with good and custom software, you know that you are going to have a weighbridge that is capable of managing the complete weighing process and data capture and ensures the all-important link with recognized management software systems such as SAP, Sage, and Navision.

The inaccurate weighbridges are not just illegal but can also cost you money through lost revenue or damaged customer relations. So, when you are planning to get a weighbridge, you must check the weighbridge calibration on a regular basis. And whenever the key components of the weighbridge are replaced, re-verification is very important for accurate performance. When you work with a company that is certified for the self-verification of weighbridges, you can rest assured that you are going to get the calibration done by the experts for minimizing any downtime.

So when you plan to choose a weighbridge for your business, make sure to keep the above-mentioned tips in mind to reach the right decision that is backed by research. Explore different models available in the market to get the one that matches your specific weighing requirements.