Tag Archives: rice lake

Eliminate Traditional Wire Runs with SendIt and TranSend

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Rice Lake’s SendIt™ and MSI’s TranSend™ are now in stock and ready to order. By reading the signal from a load cell or junction box and sending data wirelessly to a receiving indicator, SendIt and TranSend eliminate traditional wire runs.

Rice Lake SendIt is a simple point-to-point wireless load cell interface. The transmitter has a single A/D input and the receiver has a single mV/V output and can interface with nearly any make or model of digital weight indicator. It is powered with 5 VDC that can be supplied either by a rechargeable external battery or a wall adapter. The transmitters and receivers can be ordered separately or as a pair. The paired set is factory-matched and calibrated, and is ready to wirelessly communicate right out of the box. It will also include a load cell cable and an indicator cable; the power source must be ordered separately.

TranSend is more robust, offering several different power input options and the capability to utilize internal relays. Transmitters can have either a single A/D input or up to four A/D inputs. Receivers can provide either a single mV/V output or an analog output signal. Due to a wide variety of configurations, a part number is not available for a paired set; everything will be sold à la carte.

Both SendIt and TranSend can be paired at the factory upon request, or they can be paired in the field with a free to download PC program, ScCMP.

Truck Scale Spring Maintenance Is Important!

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Summer will be here before you know it and if you haven’t had your truck scale tested and inspected lately now is the time. The changing of the seasons brings us warm weather, but it also brings running water to truck scale pits and foundations. If left unmaintained, the mud and debris can wreak havoc on truck scale operations and accuracy. We recommend completing the following steps to ensure your scale is up and running in time for the busy summer season. You, the scale owner, can actually do quite a few of the steps below.

Take a walk around the perimeter of your scale. Examine the entire deck, scale pit, foundation and approaches for any major structural or surface problems. If you see any foundation deterioration be sure to fix it right away. Any deck and approach repair is not merely cosmetic; those issues can have a negative effect on the scales performance. Flaking rust and crumbling concrete falling into the pit will add maintenance costs now, but in the future they will reduce the scales’ usefulness.

We’ve been servicing truck scales for a long time and the most common cause of incorrect weighments is debris under the scale (or in the pit) binding movement. Clean all dirt from each component. Remember, even though most scales these days are electronic, they still have moving parts underneath. Load cells still need to be able to deflect through their capacity range.

To cut down on any future debris problems, it’s a good idea to invest in flexible T-Grip or T-Strip rubber molding. These moldings, while being flexible enough to work with the movement of the scale, will keep debris from causing problems and eventual damage to the scale. Depending on the scale design, the molding might only be necessary to cover the end gaps where the trucks enter and exit the scale. Scales weighing open trucks or messy operations will also need side molding to protect against spillage falling into the pit. Continue reading →

Can I Buy An American Made Floor Scale?

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Over the past few months on this site we have taken a look at how realistic is it to purchase certain types of scales and related equipment that is actually made in the USA. We looked at Made In The USA scale indicators and Built in America Load Cells. Today I wanted to find out if you can still buy a Made In the USA floor scale?

Absolutely! Now I do want to write a small disclaimer before I get started. The information presented below is provided to the best of my knowledge and at the time of this writing is true. As all of you know, the pressures of a shaky economy and increased competition can always force scale manufacturers to change their process. But to my knowledge what I’m writing below is accurate regarding these decks being made in the United States. So with that being said, let’s answer the simple question. Can I still get a floor scale that was actually built in America? Yes you can.

Anytime you think of floor scales built in America the first choice has to be the Pennsylvania Scale 6600 series. The Pennsylvania floor scale is built in either Lancaster PA or at the corporate facility in Terre Haute, IN. These scales are well built and feature an outstanding warranty. As an added bonus, the indicators from Pennsylvania are also made in the USA. Continue reading →

Rice Lake Adds New 480 Legend Indicator To Lineup

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The flagship of Rice Lake’s Legend Series, the 480 digital weight indicator has been perfected to provide the very best in performance and value.

Advance to Rice Lake’s Legend Series—classic Rice Lake quality and design with new ideas for tomorrow. As the flagship of Rice Lake’s Legend Series, the 480 digital weight indicator has been perfected to provide the very best in performance and value.

With its stainless steel enclosure and advanced gasket system, the industrial-strength 480 is built for dirty, wet environments and demanding workplaces, inside or out. Advanced circuitry also withstands electrical noise, power disturbances and transient spikes that are common to industrial applications.

Rice Lake’s 480 is the industry’s first choice for readability. With its large, ultra-bright LED display, 0.8 inch digits and sharp contrast, the 480 provides superior display visibility. Its six-button tactile keypad allows for quick navigation and programming. Connect the 480 to a printer, PC or remote display and make use of configurable print formats, time and date function, and local/remote capability.

Whether it’s used in heavy capacity or batching operations, the 480 powers as many as ten 350 ohm load cells in parallel. Engineered with Rice Lake’s advanced digital filtering, the 480 Legend Series promises top speed without sacrificing weight stability.

Remote Displays and Scoreboards For Truck Scales Are Becoming Standard Items Lately

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Customers are discovering that adding a remote display to your weighing operations allows the scale operator, truck driver, customer, or anyone else nearby to see the weight displayed. A nice choice for displays is the Survivor Laserlight from Rice Lake.

Power up a SURVIVOR® LaserLight remote display or an M-Series messaging display in your application and the benefits of its bright, high-intensity display and non-glare lens are immediately visible. From a fog concealed truck scale, to the smoke and dust of a foundry
or steel mill, the LaserLight’s LED display provides sharp, easy to read images of your critical weight process values. You’ll never experience wash-out in direct sunlight or lose visibility in dark conditions again, because the LaserLight uses an IntelliBright™ sensing
feature that automatically adjusts the display for optimal viewing in any lighting condition.

With the LaserLight M-Series messaging remote display, you can easily slide, scroll or flash any alphanumeric message. Perfect for showing important information, displaying instructions, or any general greeting, the M-Series is available with an 8 character or 12 character display.

Emitted light enhances maximum viewing distance from 70˚ vertical axis and 140˚ horizontal axis. All models come with annunciators for GR, NT, lb, and kg. For added convenience, optional time and date, and temperature functions are also available.

The light gray, heat resistant enclosure is smartly designed with a sloped top to ensure moisture run-off. Conveniently located setup and navigation switches allow for easy configuration of the unit. To simplify installation and make retrofitting an attractive option, the Auto Learn mode identifies the communications format and data rate used by your weight indicator to make installation quick and easy. The SURVIVOR® LaserLight remote display… providing crisp, accurate weight readings to ensure your process is always moving forward.

Announcement On Rice Lake OTR Above Ground Truck Scale

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Rice Lake Weighing Systems was recently granted an amendment to its NTEP Certificate of Conformance for the SURVIVOR OTR Series of above ground truck scales. The amendment reduces the scale’s minimum division value (emin) from the industry standard 20 pounds to 10 pounds, making the SURVIVOR OTR suitable for not only vehicle weighing, but high-dollar applications such as livestock and scrap-metal weighing.
The improved resolution is essential where valuable commodities are being weighed and Rice Lake’s truck scales now offer a competitive advantage in those cases.

The new certification applies to Rice Lake’s entire OTR Series, including steel and concrete decks and pit or pitless grain dump models, in standard widths up to 16.5 feet and standard lengths up to 160 feet. The SURVIVOR OTR is also now available with racks and gates for livestock containment needs.

Breakthrough Legal for Trade Onboard Scale Launch Announced

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A breakthrough new Legal for Trade onboard scale is getting plenty of attention in the trucking and transportation industries. From feed and grain to minerals, scrap steel, wood pellets, grease recovery and more, TradeRoute lets drivers bypass the truck scale and conduct business directly to and from their payload, printed ticket and all.

TradeRoute is one of very few Legal for Trade onboard scales available in North America. But what makes it most unique is that it operates solely from a parked position where hydraulics are used to engage the scale. Unlike all other onboard designs, TradeRoute’s load cells support the vehicle’s load only during the weigh cycle, eliminating the potential for premature load-cell wear from constant engagement.

TradeRoute from Rice Lake Weighing Systems is designed to install around the frame of many common straight-truck designs using a combination of frame-hugging weigh modules, a stainless steel junction box, and a weatherproof control center that houses Rice Lake’s 920i® Indicator/Controller and Epson TM-U295 Ticket Printer. The 920i software adds tremendous power and flexibility to each TradeRoute system, which can be customized to the unique needs of each customer.

The potential cost savings are huge with a system like this. Carriers can save an enormous amount of time and vehicle wear by not taking constant trips to a certified scale, and multiply that savings across their fleet. They get detailed numbers from each stop and are able to store and transmit those numbers back to their office electronically.  Avoid a few overload fines and this system pays for itself quickly.

MSHA Guidelines for Truck Scales

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The Mine Safety and Health Administration or MSHA (nicknamed “emshaw”) is the government organization that oversees safety at mines, quarries, and related industries. MSHA is headquartered in Arlington, VA, with district offices at six locations around the United States. There are presently over 850 inspectors within MSHA.

Rails for Truck ScaleHow does MSHA impact scales and the scale industry? Legislation has been on the books since the 1970s relating to berms, guardrails, elevated roadways, bridges, and roads on mine property. These regulations, however, have been very loosely enforced with respect to truck scales. Truck scales have just recently been clearly defined by MSHA as elevated roadways and are therefore now subject to MSHA policies regarding guardrails and berms.

In early 2009 MSHA inspectors initiated an aggressive campaign at these facilities, levying significant fines and penalties related to guardrails on truck scales. Compliance has generally been left to the discretion of the local MSHA inspector. MSHA has been vague in the past as to what was expected from scale owners. The most common criteria provided by MSHA up until this time was that “guardrails were to be half the height of the largest tire on a powered vehicle to cross the scale.” Rice Lake and other scale suppliers have provided higher rails to satisfy the requirement—and this appeared to be acceptable to most MSHA inspectors. This interpretation changed with the release of the MSHA policy letter on August 26, 2010.

The new policy as it relates to truck scales applies specifically to all mining operations and businesses located on mine property, including aggregate facilities, sand and gravel, bulk cement, concrete plants, asphalt operations, strip mines, tipple operations, coal loadouts, and other related businesses. These policies apply to both metal and non-metal mine facilities. Continue reading →

There Is Even A Difference In The Keypad

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Rice Lake utilizes a piezo-type keypad in the CW-90X Checkweigher. These keypads are considerably thicker than traditional overlays and use piezoelectric principles, where pressure creates a mechanical charge within a crystalline layer of the product. You do not notice a tactile sensation of a dome being pushed as with many other keypads. But in the case of the CW-90X, there are certain good things about this.The CW-90X check weighing scale was designed to be used in challenging environments-factory floors, damp food processing type places, etc. In our advertising you might have noticed an individual using a chef’s knife to press a button on the CW-90X. If someone attempted that with a classic keypad, and they do, it will ultimately pierce the dome structure of the button, enabling debris into the keypad and creating failure in a very short period of time.A piezo keypad delivers superior durability. It’s chemical and weather resistant, there isn’t any moving pieces to collapse or break down, and that smooth surface area is very simple to clean. The piezo keypad is not entirely indestructible, however, if someone chooses to utilize their knife instead of their index finger, functionality won’t be jeopardized.

A New Way To Count

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Greater than a digital weight indicator and more than a counting scale, Counterpart from Rice Lake stands alone as a configurable counting indicator, capable of transforming just about any scale platform into a smart piece-counting device-for parts of just about every size and shape. In contrast to classic counting scales, Counterpart uses Rice Lake’s basic configuration method to adapt to the parameters and resolution of any linked scale base, regardless of whether a floor scale, bench scale, or laboratory balance. Counterpart also hooks up with many bar code scanners, label printers, and inventory management software, allowing it to be perhaps the most versatile piece of equipment in any inventory setting.

Rice Lake’s new configurable counting indicator does away with the equipment learning curve. End users merely follow the keys left to right- zero, tare, and sample. View weight, piece weight, description and quantity all simultaneously. And a 10 piece standard sample is all that Counterpart ever requires.

Even though Counterpart was created for operator simplicity, it also offers the high-end features required in greater inventory management and documentation. Onboard Ethernet provides for link with your personal computer where software for Counterpart can take your data storage and reporting features to new levels.
https://www.centralcarolinascale.com/Counterpart.htm