CASE STUDY: In-and-Out Railroad Scale

When we read about this case study below, we felt that we just had to share it with our readers. A scale company in Iowa installed a very unique scale system which utilizes three LPRA railroad track scales. The system also utilizes Cardinal load cells, 825 digital weight indicator, SB500 Remote Display and Remote Weigh Mobile App for iPad.

The grain facility typically weighs 25 car sets of corn for ethanol or corn sweetener and 18 car sets of beans. The Cardinal railroad scale was purchased instead of an overhead load-out weighing system and offered significant savings for the customer. The way the system works is an eastbound train pulls railcars onto the scale to get the Tare weight on scale platforms #3 and #2 and then Gross and Net are determined when the train pulls forward onto scales #2 and #1 with a special tare. Custom software developed by Cardinal Scale and installed in the 825 Spectrum weight indicator allows the operator to turn scales on and off as railcars come across them to prevent weighing railcars when unnecessary. The 825 indicator’s special software also incorporates a temporary Tare weight for the operator to get a target fill weight using a fill program to fill up or top off the last part of a railroad car. Then, cars are pulled forward by a trackmobile into final weighment position to receive their Gross, Tare, and Net weights.

The USA-made 825 indicator is connected via Ethernet cable  to a wireless router which has a long-range radio (wireless access point) attached to it for Wi-Fi output. This allows the operator in the trackmobile to wirelessly control the railroad scale through an Apple iPad using Cardinal Scale’s Remote Weigh mobile app. This system replaces their old method of two-way radio communication back and forth from the scale house and allows them to use one less person for the operation. The trackmobile operator can move the railcars and see when  each car is positioned on the scale for weighing without ever leaving the cab. This efficiency allows the grain facility to reduce the amount of man power needed from five people down to four
people. Case Study (pdf file)

Continue reading

Cardinal Introduces New Railroad Track Scale

Even though we mainly focus on truck scales, we thought many of our readers would appreciate the new Cardinal LPRA railroad track scale which is now available. Cardinal Scale Manufacturing low-profile LPRA railroad track scales come with either electronic or hydraulic USA-made stainless steel load cells, up to 270-ton capacity, rugged steel weighbridges, Wi-Fi and mobile app options, NTEP and Measurement Canada legal-for-trade certification, and E-80 Cooper AREMA rating. Twenty different standard models are available from Cardinal Scale in different lengths and capacities to accommodate any combination of car length, and custom applications and configurations are also readily available.

Mounted above ground in a shallow, concrete foundation, Cardinal’s LPRA rail scale is engineered to stabilize shifting ballast resulting in weight errors. Installation is rapid, simple, and can be handled locally requiring usually only about two days. Weighbridge sections arrived assembled, ready to set in, and load cell assemblies are easy to install. Grain dump grating is also available to expedite the unloading process. Accuracy is in accordance with NIST, AAR, and AREMA requirements (railcars uncoupled at both ends).

A Great Foundation For Success

We mention it all the time on this website but a truck scale is a major investment and anytime you invest in something like that you want to make certain that you protect your investment. One key area of importance is where you locate the scale on your property and the scale foundation.

Producing over one million tons of product per year is an impressive feat for any industry. At Giant Cement in Harleyville, S.C., this annual quantity reflects the effective strategies implemented throughout their lean manufacturing process. Producing and transporting this amount of cement requires a devoted workforce and equipment that never stops. The 24/7 demands can take its toll on equipment and installing durable scales is integral to keep product moving. Giant Cement requires the most durable truck and rail scales to handle its high volume of trucks per day and constant stream of rail cars. They turned to Rice Lake’s SR truck scale and a custom-designed railroad scale to meet their needs.

An existing competitor’s truck scale still resides on its original installation site, inhabiting low ground on the lot and providing a reminder that proper installation is an essential ingredient for optimal weighments. Because of its location, every rainfall washed any nearby debris beneath the scale and would often create pools of standing water. “That scale was a maintenance nightmare,” explains Brad Locker, Industrial Controls Engineer for Giant Cement. “It seemed like we were always calling someone out here to make adjustments or clean the foundation.”

Just about every business is looking for ways to make their business more efficient and to save money. One easy way to do that is to research and plan ahead when it comes to things like locating a truck scale on your property. By putting a scale in a certain location it can increase uptime and profitability as opposed to leading to more service calls, increased cleaning times and increased down time.

Why is My Scale Printer Not Working With My Weight Indicator?

Often end users will ask about adding a printer to their existing scale or perhaps to a new system they are requesting. And quite often the end user is under the impression that adding a printer to a scale is as simple as going to the electronics store and buying a computer printer and plugging it into the scale via USB. Unfortunately, adding a printer to a scale system is not usually a plug and play application.

So to answer the question, why is my label or ticket printer not working with my indicator? Let’s take a look at the answer provided by Cardinal Scale. Label printers come from the factory set in a graphics mode (called page mode) while Cardinal indicators send data in a line mode from the print tab setup. It is often possible to set the label printers to line mode, but this can be difficult and is ultimately the less effective option. We recommend creating a graphic-type ticket using Cardinal’s nControl software that can be used to create custom headers and set font sizes. This has been proven to work well with the label printers that Cardinal sells. Works great when designing print outs for indicators such as the 190, 205, 210, or 225.







How Do I Install a Weight Alarm Buzzer into My Indicator so I Know A Truck is on the Scale?

One of the questions that quite a few folks ask about from time to time is How do I install a weight alarm buzzer into my Cardinal Scale weight indicator to let me know when a truck is on my scale? Of course the driver could just call the scale operator using a cell phone. Or, the truck driver could lay on his horn until somebody noticed. Well, those are probably not the best choices. This installation is most commonly requested for the Cardinal 225 indicator, although a similar setup can be done on the advanced 825 from Cardinal.

For the 225, you will need to purchase Cardinal part number 6620-0016 which should mount in place of the larger gland connector in the back of the 225. The red wire for the buzzer will plug into pin 2 of the P15 connector. The black wire will plug into pin 10 of P15. Once this is connected, enable the weight alarm within the ID Storage mode of operation settings.

Get To Know The Cardinal EPR-LF Portable Vehicle Scale

Cardinal Scale’s EPR-LF series portable vehicle scales are the ideal answer when a scale is needed that can be moved from site to site. Industries such as rock quarries, sand and gravel pits, and logging companies must relocate equipment from time to time to maintain efficient product flow. The complete scale is contained in modules which are furnished with lifting eyes for easy moving. Simply lift, move, and lower the scale to its new location for weighing with minimal time and effort necessary. Optional steel ramps, guide rails, weight indicators, remote displays, and lifting kits are also available for the EPR-LF truck scale.

Standard features of the scale include Checkered Steel Deck, Durable Anti-Corrosion Powder Paint, Heavy-Duty Structural Steel Tubing, Low-Profile 16-inch Overall Height, Made in USA Quality Measurement Canada Certified, NTEP Legal for Trade, Self-Contained and Portable, and SnapStream Wireless Connection Between Scale Decks and Indicator.

Best of all, SnapStream wireless connectivity comes standard with the EPR-LF. This allows wireless communication between scale deck modules and the Cardinal Scale weight indicator for seamless integration between all scale components and alleviates the need for rewiring every time the truck scale is moved. SnapStream is a digitally controlled weighing and diagnostic system that is NTEP legal for trade and designed utilizing the Zigbee protocol for reliable and accurate weight and data transmission for truck scales.

Designed for easy transport, each completely self-contained EPRLF scale consists of 16-inch-high modules fabricated to minimize overall height and maximize strength. Heavy-duty structural tubing is placed in strategic locations to support heavy vehicle loading. Cross members and other lateral structural members provide rigid support for the heavy-duty checkered deck plate. The EPR-LF may be placed on compacted surfaces or timbers for an economical installation (applicable in states which approve temporary installations). Contact your local weights and measures office for specific
requirements in your location.

Video Example of Truck In & Truck Out With Scale Printer






Truck Scale Cost Justification Guide

We were reading the cost justification guide from Cardinal Scale recently and they brought up a good point. It is surprising how many truck scales are manufactured by one company and use load cells from yet another company and a digital weight indicator from yet another company. So if something breaks, where does responsibility for the scale begin and end with each manufacturer? Cardinal Scale Manufacturing is one of the very few companies that manufactures not only the scale weighbridge structure but the load cells and instrumentation that go with it to complete the scale. With Cardinal you really do have single source responsibility and reliability. If you’re thinking about a Cardinal Truck Scale or better yet thinking about going with a hydraulic truck scale, read here.

◾As previously mentioned, lightning and water are the two most common sources of load cell failure. Often truck scales are placed in locations subject to flooding or are subjected to routine high-pressure washings. While digital and analog load cells are sealed against the entry of moisture, they often fail due to damage to a seal or abrasion of a cable jacket allowing entry of moisture. Analog and digital load cells are both subject to lightning damage. The extremely small strands on a strain gauge are especially sensitive to voltage surges. Hydraulic load cells have neither strain gauges nor electrical wire and are immune to damage from both water and lightning. If your scale will be in a location subject to spring time thunderstorms, you should give serious consideration to Cardinal’s Guardian hydraulic load cells.

◾Guardian hydraulic load cells operate by sensing weight via fluid pressure, which means that they require no power within the scale itself. You won’t lose any operational time when lightning or other power issues strike at the scale location. Guardian load cells carry a lifetime warranty against lightning and power surges.

◾Unfortunately, it is a fact of life that if something can be overloaded, it will. Same goes for shock loading on a truck scale. Whether you’re filling trucks with rock or ore, shock loading will take place. Both analog and digital load cells use a steel spring element to sense the load. Applying a shock load, even one less than the capacity of the load cell, can and will cause permanent damage to the load cell rendering it unusable. Cardinal’s Guardian hydraulic load cells, on the other hand, act much like a shock absorber on your automobile dissipating the shock load in the hydraulic fluid.

◾Hydraulic tubing from the load cells is terminated at the scale house by a non-conducting Goodyear rubber line. This creates an important barrier of protection, preventing lightning from traveling into the scale house where your load-sensing digital weight display is located.

◾If you’ve ever experienced costly downtime and repairs due to lightning or a power surge, the Guardian hydraulic truck scale can help you save in the future.

We can definitely confirm to you that customers are buying hydraulic truck scales. Yes, they are more expensive than traditional truck scales with analog load cells but for quite a few customers, they feel the added costs up front are worth it. Lightning and water are the two most common sources of load cell failure. Often truck scales are placed in locations subject to flooding or are subjected to routine high-pressure washings. While digital and analog load cells are sealed against the entry of moisture, they often fail due to damage to a seal or abrasion of a cable jacket allowing entry of moisture. Analog and digital load cells are both subject to lightning damage. The extremely small strands on a strain gauge are especially sensitive to voltage surges. Hydraulic load cells have neither strain gauges nor electrical wire and are immune to damage from both water and lightning. If your scale will be in a location subject to spring time thunderstorms, you should give serious consideration to Cardinal’s Guardian hydraulic load cells.