Weighbridge/Truck Scale Control System Dramatically Improves Turnaround Time

Trucks are processed eight times faster with the installation of a new weighbridge control system installed at Ennstone Johnston’s Cloud Hill (UK) site.

Ennstone Johnston, one of the UK’s largest producers of aggregates, asphalt and ready-mix concrete, needed to increase the number of trucks in and out of their site at Cloud Hill and reduce their turnaround time after they opened a new asphalt plant.

Bottlenecks caused by previous system

Previously, wagons checked in and out at the same weighbridge station, which meant long lines at busy times. In fact, while the actual filling operation only took five minutes, it would take nearly an hour to get a truck in and out of the site due to the bottleneck.

Critically, asphalt would reduce in temperature by up to 50% while waiting to leave the site. The company decided to upgrade their existing weighbridge station and dedicate it to outbound traffic, while installing a completely new inbound station.

In/Outbound system improves turnaround time

Avery Weigh-Tronix’s sales engineers helped Ennstone Johnston design a system perfectly suited for their need for load tracking and security while reducing the time trucks spent at the site. Wagons now spend as little as seven minutes on site once they check in, a significant improvement.

The new inbound system includes two bays, both with communication consoles to link the driver to the operations hub. The first features a new Bridgemont surface mounted scale. Here, the system records the tare weight at the beginning of the day and the driver receives a bar-coded ticket with his order and delivery information. The second bay also dispenses tickets and is used for subsequent visits as the tare weight is already known.

Fraud prevention

After receiving his load of either aggregates, concrete or asphalt, the driver now proceeds to the refurbished out station. Avery Weigh-Tronix replaced an existing bridge with a new Bridgemont XT, capable of handling even the largest quarry vehicles. Two remote driver-operated consoles were also fitted. At either station, the driver weighs their truck and scans the barcode on their ticket. If the truck is either overweight for its classification or if it didn’t weigh in prior to loading, a red light shows and the vehicle is prevented from exiting. The barcode is unique and expires once it is scanned, which reduces fraud by preventing repeat or unscrupulous filling.

Once the vehicle is approved to leave, the system prints a three-part ticket for the driver. They sign the first one and leave it, as a record for Ennstone Johnston, while taking the two others with them for the transport company’s and end customer’s records.

Simple integration with management software

The entire weighbridge system seamlessly integrated with Ennstone Johnston’s existing quarry management software with minimal operator training time. Not only does the new system manage the company’s data efficiently while optimising turnaround time, but it now also provides overload and fraud protection for the company.