What You Need To Know About Axle Scales

Axle scales

One of the amazing technological inventions of the modern world is truck scales. They are large weighing machines that are mounted on concrete foundations and used to weigh vehicles along with their content. Axle scales help to calculate the load which a vehicle is carrying – it weighs it before it’s loaded and also after. That’s very important, particularly for people in the transportation business. 

What are Axle Scales Anyway?

They are weighing machines used to measure the weight of each truck’s axle. Measuring the axle is a commonly accepted way of determining the weight of a truck. The method is, indeed, considered one of the most accurate systems, measuring within 0.25% margin error.

These weighing machines are portable, which means they are more practical in numerous applications. You can place them wherever you want like above the ground or on a pit level. They are made of heavy-duty steel and are durable. Moreover, these machines are also easy to set up.

How do they work?

These scales are usually connected to one electronic controller, which automatically adds up the axle weights to show the gross weight. Weigh-in-motion (WIM) is one method that’s becoming more and more popular.

WIM utilizes a series of embedded sensors in calculating the weight per axle while a truck moves over the sensor pad. The method is very effective because the driver doesn’t need to stop or waste a lot of time having the vehicle together with its content weighed.

Full-Length Scales

Axle scales

Before you go out to buy axle scales, you may need to know something about full-length scales. In this type, the truck driver requires positioning the load into the weighing platform. The full-length weighing machine has eight varieties – low profile, concrete deck, pit, fully electronic, electromechanical, check rod restraint, steel deck, and bumper bolt restraint.

Choosing the type of full-length scale suitable for you depends on your facility, and whether you utilize corrosive materials or not. The weighing machine is more expensive than the axle-based scales and generally requires guardrails with generous room on the exit ramp. Full-length scales are the most popular among all types of truck scales.

Final Thought

If you’re planning to buy axle scales soon, any piece of information you get will come in handy. This article gives you an overview of what the axle scales are, how they work, and how different they are from the full-length scales. As mentioned, the former are less expensive but aren’t as accurate as the latter.  For more information visit our Website.