Weightru (United Kingdom) - If you’re running a business that relies on weighbridges to measure the weight of vehicles, it’s important to make sure that your equipment is as durable as possible.

Unsurprisingly, weighbridges can take a lot of wear and tear, especially if they’re being used constantly.

In this blog post, we will talk about how you can increase the durability of your weighbridges, which ultimately falls down to maintenance and care of use. Follow these tips and you’ll be able to keep your equipment in good condition for years to come!

Factors That Lead to Weighbridge Problems:

The following factors are some of the common reasons why a weighbridge experiences problems:

Overloading and Heavy Braking:

This can be a major problem that can cause damage to load cells, mounting hardware, the deck itself, and its foundations. 

Of course, these things will happen but it’s important to make drivers aware of the consequences. 

To do this, ensure there is sufficient signage around the site, including speed restriction signs.

Lack of Cleaning:

This is the most basic, yet often most neglected, element in effective weighbridge maintenance. It’s essential for health and safety and technical reasons to keep the area around the weighbridge as clean as possible. And it’s especially vital in the winter and after heavy rains. 

Lastly, the rubber seal around the edge of the deck on weighbridges with a ‘T’ section is used to prevent debris from entering; it’s critical that this remains in place.

Blocked Drainage and Flooding:

Standing water around the weighbridge will aggravate problems, especially with load cells where the sealing may have been affected through damage or corrosion. 

If flooding does happen, extra checks should be made after the water has drained away.

Proper Use and Care:

On the whole, the durability of the weighbridges falls down to proper use and care:

• Don’t keep vehicles on the platform for too long: the vehicle must only be on the platform during its weighing then drive off
• Don’t make any sudden maneuvers: forced and sudden maneuvers can damage the scale structure, as well as put workers’ safety at risk
• Don’t exceed the scale’s maximum capacity: although weighbridges are made from durable, highly resistant materials, they are only prepared for optimal use when maximum capacity is respected – otherwise you risk damaging the tipper and affecting weighing results
• Check the weight indicator is zero: before weighing, the indicator should be at zero and stable for an accurate reading
• Remove dirt and water: clean the tipper regularly so that you don’t compromise the correct functioning of the platform

Preventative Maintenance:

With there being different types of weighbridges on any given site, it’s wise to take out a maintenance contract with a service supplier who has the expertise and nationwide resources to support a range of equipment.

In addition to this, weighbridge operators can limit breakdowns by carrying out a simple maintenance regime. For instance, checking for any build up of debris between the deck and the pit or ramps.

To take this to the next level, predictive maintenance using cloud technology is a great tool available for weighbridge operators. 

With this kind of technology, you can log in to view the performance of the weighbridge – the software can flag up a load cell malfunction, for example. 

As a result, you’re able to detect any problems before they arise and prevent any further damage from happening.

The Bottom Line:

When it comes to increasing the durability of weighbridges, basic housekeeping will pay dividends and help reduce any unwanted breakdowns. 

By following these tips above, you can reduce unnecessary costs on repairs and replacements, and prolong the correct operation of the bridge.