Maximizing revenue and customer satisfaction with weighing systems

by Joe Stark, National Account sales manager, Avery Weigh-Tronix

Weight is an important factor in waste handling and recycling applications, as both the buying and selling of materials are based upon the weight of the collected items. Weight also impacts a company’s profit goals, customer satisfaction and overall operation efficiency. Quality scale equipment capable of reliable and repeatable weighing is essential for maintaining effective and reliable waste handling and recycling processes.

While there are many scale systems available, selecting the proper equipment for specific waste handling and recycling operations is important. Operators should examine the type of materials to be handled or recycled, in addition to the potential load weight and legal for trade weighments. For these types of applications, the scale equipment generally used includes truck scales, rail scales, forklift scales and floor scales. All of these systems provide a viable weighing solution, however, each one differs in load capacity and increment size — making some better suited for certain application requirements than others.

Truck scales are the primary scale system choice for waste handling and recycling applications, as they are both a versatile and convenient weighing solution

Rail scales are an ideal weighing solution for heavy commodities, such as scrap metal recycling, as these materials are often bulky and difficult to bundle or sort

Truck Scales
Truck scales are the primary scale system choice for waste handling and recycling applications, as they are both a versatile and convenient weighing solution. Truck scales can be used to weigh virtually any common material, such as newspaper, cardboard, bottles and various metals, in addition to providing the capability to handle large loads. Truck scales operate by weighing vehicles as they arrive or depart the recycling center. Further, with a minimum increment size of 20-pounds to be legal for trade, truck scales provide accuracy suitable for loads weighing tens of thousands of pounds.

Truck scale systems consist of both a rugged platform and a digital instrument to record transactions and display weights. To operate the system, a driver simply stops on the scale and provides an identification number, as well as any other necessary data about the transaction. The vehicle then exits the scale to be loaded or unloaded. Afterward, the truck returns to the scale to acquire an outgoing weighment and the controller prints a ticket displaying the weight and driver/truckload data, with all collected information stored in the controller’s database. This is an example of a computer controlled ticket printing system. Alternatively, there is also a simple ticket printing system that does not require a computer for operation, or an unattended weighing system. The unattended weighing system is ideal for remote applications or during off times when an operator isn’t present.

Rail Scales
Rail scales are an ideal weighing solution for heavy commodities. One of the most common applications for rail scales is scrap metal recycling, as these materials are often bulky and difficult to bundle or sort. Rail scales allow for consistent weighments for transport, using the scale as checkweigher to validate the weight. This maximizes the load and eliminates wasted trips. Rail scales are also available in legal for trade models. For legal for trade weighing above 200,000-pounds, a rail scale is set for a 50-pound increment size.

Rail scales are modular decks that are spaced to match up below the axles of the cars to be weighed, or sections of the instrumented rail that can be installed right on the existing ties and ballast. Rail scales can be configured for static or in-motion weighing applications. Many systems employ the use of RFID tags and readers for more complete data tracking. Further, besides producing total car weights, rail scales can also provide readings for individual trucks, axles and even wheels.

Forklift Scales
Forklift scales are an effective weighing solution for waste handling and recycling applications, allowing operators to weigh bundled and palletized recycled materials en route. This expedites operations by permitting forklift drivers to take commodities directly to storage upon delivery, while tracking the weight, origin and storage location during transport resulting in instantaneous data acquisition to improve billing and inventory management. Forklift scales are also a compact weighing solution, making them suitable for busy, crowded recycling yards. This makes them sufficient for smaller loads, while providing non-legal and legal for trade weighing. Forklift scales are capable of weighing up to 16,000-pounds — making them ideal for a wide range of applications. Delivering a five pound graduation on smaller loads up to 5,000-pounds, forklift scales are especially well suited for items such as plastic and glass.

Forklift scales consist of a scale unit bolted onto a forklift carriage, which utilizes electronic weight sensors to deliver reliable weighing — even if the forklift mast is tilted or the pallet load is off center. The sensors can also compensate for inconsistent weighing conditions, such as operating the forklift on uneven ground. The forklift driver generally uses an in-cab instrument to manage data collection and communicate weight data to the center’s computers.

For commodities with a higher per pound value, such as aluminum cans, fine metals and copper, floor scales deliver high accuracy weighing in a low profile, easily accessible design

Forklift scales are an effective weighing solution for waste handling and recycling applications, allowing operators to weigh bundled and palletized recycled materials en router

Floor Scales
For commodities with a higher per pound value, such as aluminum cans, fine metals and copper, floor scales deliver high accuracy weighing in a low profile, easily accessible design. These scales offer a more finite one pound graduation, making them ideal in applications where even small variations or inconsistencies can make a huge difference to the bottom line. Available in a wide range of platform sizes and capacities up to 50,000-pounds, floor scales provide flexibility for diverse weighing applications.

Generally featuring a non-slip scale surface and sturdy feet, combined with a low profile or pit mounted options, floor scales ensure that the loading, weighing and unloading processes are as risk free as possible. Floor scales are usually centrally located at a recycling center, so that forklift drivers and other personnel can access the scale as conveniently as possible. A forklift driver stops on the scale or sets a pallet/container on the scale so that the load weight can be derived. The scale system may include a simple indicator that allows the operator to record and electronically print the captured weight information. This data collection and documentation process may also be automated through the use of a more sophisticated weight indicator such as one that incorporates bar code scanners to record the product ID for each load and a WiFi interface to communicate weighments to a PC data collection system. Many floor scales come equipped with ramps — often one on each side — as well as in-ground models to help facilitate motorized vehicle access and accommodate various traffic patterns. While forklift drivers may need to adjust their routes and/or wait their turn to access the scale, when profits from materials this valuable are at stake, many recyclers agree that it’s worth the wait.

In the Field
Straight line recycling, also known has single stream recycling, is one type of recycling application in the construction waste industry that requires weighing. Instead of requiring customers to sort their waste individually, users are able to throw all of their waste together in one bin. Then, waste companies collect the bins and sort them at their facility using truck scales, rail scales, forklift scales and floor scales. This allows recycling companies to free up labor and equipment to expand other services without a budget increase. Further, this process can actually decrease trash tonnage and increase recycling tonnage. On the customer end, straight line recycling makes it easier to adopt sustainable recycling habits, without creating additional work.

In addition to straight line recycling, many companies are using portable truck scales for demolition and site maintenance. For example, a company may purchase a used facility site for their business. To prep the facility by either tearing old material down or performing site cleanup, companies use portable truck scales to load and transport materials. This not only provides a convenient, mobile weighing solution but is also much cheaper than installing multiple, permanent scale systems.

For construction and demolition recycling, a facility may incorporate truck scales to effectively weigh materials. For instance, the facility may place one scale outdoors, which is used to weigh trucks loaded with mixed materials, and another scale may be located indoors to weigh all of the sorted materials. The empty truck is placed on the scale and loaded to capacity. To facilitate simple and accurate documentation, keep track of sorted materials and customer billing, both scales can be directly linked to a PC software system.

By utilizing two truck scales, operators experience fast in/out times for all vehicles, eliminating long lines to the weigh station and operation downtime. This also allows users to maximize the number of loads weighed in a given amount of time, ultimately optimizing overall profits, while in turn providing an eco-friendly weighing operation. Additionally, with some scales capable of directly connecting to custom software, this allows for fast and accurate data collection. Before scales offered this feature, companies would have to print out each transaction and then re-enter it into their program manually increasing the potential for human error. This may lead to inaccurate invoices or customer dissatisfaction. Continuous, up to date documentation also permits all personnel to view data on or off the site.

Moving Forward
With the waste handling and recycling industry relying on not only durable and reliable weighing equipment, but also equipment that provides a lower cost of ownership, it is important for operators to select a scale that will fit their application requirements. By assessing application needs, in addition to a specific scale’s load capacity and features, a weighing system can provide accurate and efficient documentation to optimize profits and improve operations.