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Why weigh-in-motion?

To grow your business, you need to keep it moving - literally, says Lebo Masekela, chief executive of Ansys Rail.


Johannesburg, 10 Mar 2017
Lebo Masekela, Chief Executive, Ansys Rail.
Lebo Masekela, Chief Executive, Ansys Rail.

As time is money in any industry, constant innovation is required to automate tasks and to do them simpler, better and faster.

One such innovation is the ability to weigh and diagnose a range of logistical vehicles where they are deployed and while they are still moving - trucks, mine dumpers or hauler vehicles and trains can be weighed and checked for various diagnostics, without losing valuable operational time.

Why weigh?

Lebo Masekela, Chief Executive of Ansys Rail, says: "Companies, operations and managers are being pressed to lower costs and to optimise efficiencies, increase product life cycles, reduce total cost of ownership and provide reliable, repeatable and accurate production intelligence. For example, in mining, the limited availability of larger tyres is an expensive consideration worldwide, and weighing systems provide the required data needed to assure proper and safe loading to maximise tyre life and minimise safety risks."

Incorrect loading can lead to extensive infrastructure and/or wagon or truck damage, excessive fines and inefficient and unproductive load management causing production losses - all of which have an effect on bottom line revenue.

With the advent of overload and skew loading legislation and its enforced management being implemented by infrastructure companies, organisations and state entities, weigh-in-motion (WIM) solutions are the intelligent complement to existing and new weighing requirements, being less costly, with a reduced total cost of ownership and mean times between failure (MTBF) being higher than 90 000 hours.

WIM or not?

WIM devices are designed to capture and record wheel weights, axle weights, balance weights and gross vehicle weights as vehicles drive over a measurement site. Unlike static scales, WIM systems are capable of measuring vehicles travelling at a reduced or normal traffic speed and do not require the vehicle to come to a halt - this makes the weighing process more efficient, and, in the case of commercial vehicles, allows for trucks under the weight limit to bypass static scales or inspection.

Conventional weighbridges require four times the infrastructure of WIM at four times the cost, and the majority of existing conventional weighbridges cannot cater for axle weights, wheel weights or balance weights without immense infrastructure upgrades and costs. In the rail industry, these conventional static gross weight scales can't be upgraded to provide any other weight information pertaining to wheels, axles and/or balancing.

Benefits to the trucking and mining industries include:
* Reduced fuel costs owing to unnecessary idle time;
* Less time lost;
* Provides individual wheel weights, axle weights and total or gross weights to assist with compliance to road authorities and regulations;
* Improved productivity and efficiency; and
* Requires less maintenance owing to fewer components.

Similar benefits are achieved in the rail industry.

What makes a good solution?

When choosing a WIM device, the following factors should be considered:
* What is the weighing speed?
* What accuracy does it offer?
* How frequently does it require calibration?
* Does the device provide remote diagnostic support, analysis and remedial capabilities?

Africa's unique requirements

WIM solutions are being used successfully in other parts of the world, but are not commonly leveraged in Africa. Masekela describes some of the unique challenges found on the continent: "Solutions implemented in Africa have to be suitable for our often harsh environments, with climates that range from cold to hot and humid to dry. There's also the challenge posed by the frequently remote locations of system installations and operations - this can be countered by system interconnectivity and data transmission to localised or international support and infrastructure centres."

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