Innovative road weighbridge technology protects profits

 

The innovative Mettler Toledo Powercell® PDX® load cell—a revolutionary new technology that eliminates the typical maintenance, repair costs and downtime related to conventional analogue road and rail weighbridges. More importantly, this new product will help customers in any industry prevent unnecessary and potentially substantial profit losses that may result from the use of analogue weighbridges.

The new Powercell PDX load cell is the first digital load cell of its kind to feature a network with absolutely no junction boxes. No other analogue or digital load cell on the market offers this remarkable capability.

This single design innovation attacks service breakdowns where they are most likely to occur. The new load cell takes reliability to a new level by including predictive diagnostics to keep users continuously informed of their weighbridge’s performance. This includes: automatic notification of weighing errors, overloading, environmental conditions, network health, load cell voltages and enclosure integrity without the need for maintenance-prone external converter boxes.

Complete protection against lightning strikes

Trek Scale provides complete protection against lightning damage with StrikeShield™ Protection. Each Powercell PDX load cell system has its own built-in lightning protection.

The average lightning strike is approximately 30,000 amperes; but unlike conventional analogue load cells, that’s not a problem for Powercell PDX. The system has been tested by an independent third party testing lab to survive multiple direct lightning strikes in excess of 80,000 amperes. The Powercell PDX load cell offers real proof of its lightning protection capabilities. The load cell meets the toughest standards for protection against lightning (International Electrotechnical Commission IEC 62305-1).

Highest weighing accuracy

Each Powercell PDX load cell uses an on-board microprocessor to monitor internal and external influences that affect weighing accuracy. By compensating for changes in those influences, the microprocessor enables each load cell to provide accurate weights in virtually any environment. Powercell PDX load cells maintain weighing accuracy by alerting users to a potential problem within the network. If a problem occurs, it can be fixed quickly. With a conventional analogue load cell system, users may be operating for months with an unknown load cell or cable problem; providing inaccurate weighing results until the error is uncovered during the next inspection. As a result, a 60kg error can add up to thousands of Rands in lost profit , even when users are weighing as few as 50 trucks per day.

Simplified communication

Powercell PDX load cells connect to one another in a simple network, eliminating higher maintenance junction boxes which are required in analogue weighbridges. In other systems, sensitive electronics are located in junction boxes, which are prone to failure and hard to seal against moisture. With these load cells, electronic components are protected inside the hermetically-sealed load cell enclosures.

Powercell PDX load cells also feature heavy-duty cables protected by braided, stainless steel sheathing. The cables are designed to guarantee the integrity of the weight signal, protecting against radio frequency interference and damage caused by moisture, rodents, and machinery. The quick connect military style connectors save customers thousands of Rands over the life of the product because if a Powercell PDX cable is damaged, the load cell does not have to be replaced.

Unmatched Value

The Powercell PDX load cell offers an unmatched  return on investment. When evaluating any weighbridge, cost of ownership is an important factor: initial costs + fixed costs + variable costs. Initial costs and regular maintenance are easy to plan for, but the cost of unplanned service can be a wild card. With its exceptional reliability and advanced diagnostics, the Powercell PDX load cell virtually eliminates unplanned service costs;  it provides unmatched value over the life of a weighbridge.

 

Andre Crause
Trek Scale
Tel. +27 11 626 3490
exports@trekscale.com
www.trekscale.com

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