Need to run efficiently when fuel prices are rising?

With fuel prices on the rise, it’s important to squeeze every last kilo onto every vehicle to maintain efficiency.

Underloading is inefficient but it’s what many operators do to try and stay legal.

But in trying to maximise loads operators risk overloading and all the problems that brings – a vehicle prohibited at the weighbridge, delivery slots missed, having to find another vehicle to take part of the load, the fine and the risk to the ‘O’ licence.

We have numerous instances of customers remaining legal and at the same time improving efficiency but two very good examples in very different industries are a brick carrier and a waste haulier.

Our brick carrier was concerned that storing material out of doors was causing them a problem. They had a computer loading program which theoretically advised how to load their vehicles but when it rained the weight of product got heavier and this was never factored into the calculation.

The result was that they were sending vehicles out underloaded, and thus running inefficiently, as a precaution.

Axtec Dynamic - Paid for itself in a matter of months.

However, studies showed that by checking the vehicles with an axle weighbridge they were able to load to maximum on every trip.

Remarkably, the investment in the axle weighing systems was recouped in a matter of months and thereafter they were adding to their profits.

The waste haulier had to pass a DVSA axle weighbridge on his way to the tip. Concerned about overloading he deliberately underloaded his 8-wheelers on every trip.

To improve efficiency he installed an Axtec Dynamic Axle Weighbridge and was astounded to learn that he could actually get around 30% more on each vehicle.

Again the system paid for itself in a matter of months and profit was added to his bottom line.

If you’re in the business of maximising your load on every trip then Axtec can help.

We’ll be glad to tell you what we can do and who we already do it for.

We think you’ll find it interesting.

Another one for the network!

There is a real shortage of places around the UK where hauliers can check their axle weights.

So it’s nice to announce the opening of the latest one at the Wellingborough Council Depot operated by Wellingborough Norse.

Situated at the Finedon Road Industrial Estate, the new installation is strategically situated for M1 / A14 traffic. The new axle weighbridge will incur a cost of just £15 to weigh a typical commercial vehicle. Opening hours are from 8.00am to 4.00pm.

Weighing is fast too, allowing a six-axle tractor and trailer combination to weigh in just 40-seconds and to obtain individual axle and a gross vehicle weight to an accuracy of +/- 0.25% - the most accurate dynamic weighbridge in the world. The driver simply drives over the flush mounted platform at a constant speed of 2.5 mph before obtaining instant weight figures from a digital read-out.

Wellingborough Norse has also had its new Axtec dynamic weighbridge certified by Northamptonshire Trading Standards, making it available not only for public use, but also for DVSA and for other authorities to carry out inspections.

New Public Axle Weighbridge inWellingborough

This is the first publicly available axle weighing facility in Northamptonshire and the surrounding region, and will provide local hauliers and other transport companies with a fast, cost-effective and highly accurate method of checking their vehicles for correct axle weight distribution.

The Wellingborough, Kettering, Northampton intersection sees a high volume of freight traffic and is a popular region for transport companies to base their ‘hub’ operations.

So the availability of a new, dedicated and highly flexible dynamic weighbridge will be of huge appeal to hauliers, potentially saving them hundreds of thousands of pounds

Want to know more about the Wellingborough Norse site? Get in touch and we’ll give you all the details.

Three days and counting....

Next week, everybody who is anybody in the waste industry will descend on the NEC for the RWM exhibition.

Between 13th and 15th September, it's the place to be if you have any involvement in waste and recycling.

Axtec are celebrating their 25^th anniversary this year and we’re proud to have attended every CIWM show in all its formats since day one. This year you’ll find us on stand 5P151 so come and have a chat.

The RWM is an internationally recognised industry event, the only one of its kind in fact,  a great event and as usual will be brimming with new ideas for the waste processor.

Whether you are processing or producing waste there will be new innovations and ideas throughout all the halls and it’s not to be missed. Meeting up with existing clients is an essential part of the show. Some of the projects we are involved in are very long term so keeping abreast of progress and bringing them up to speed with the latest in axle weighing technology is vital.

Some of the equipment on show, ours included, needs a ‘hands on’ approach to buy. Seeing the equipment in a working environment can be vital. Will it fit to my vans? Can it weigh multi-axle bulkers? How will it fit into my operation? Will it fit at all??

There’s only so much that can be learnt by downloading a brochure from the web and talking to people face to face, arranging site visits and post show meetings is essential when buying axle weighing systems.

Look out for us on stand 5P151 at RWM

Axle weighing is extensively used in the waste industry today and offer a number of advantages. Traditional plate weighbridges still have a role to play, but advances in technology now mean an axle weigher can be a better option. 

Need to save space? A dynamic axle weighbridge doesn’t up anything like as much room as a surface mounted weighbridge.

Making sure your caged tippers are legal out on the road? An OnBoard Load Indicator will do that for you.

Doing spot checks or driver training? Maybe some portable weighpads would offer a solution.

So if you need new ideas for your waste operation, the RWM at the NEC 13^th, 14^th, 15^th April September is the place to be.

And if it’s axle weighing you want to chat about, we'll be on stand 5P151. So feel free to come along and say hello.

Weighing Waste? See you at the RWM!

Only three weeks until the biggest exhibition for the waste and recycling industry takes place at the NEC.

And once again we’re delighted to be at the RWM, stand 5P151 from 13-15 September if you’d like to come and chat.

There isn’t much waste handled these days that isn’t weighed at some stage and if it’s bulk weighing or material that needs weighing on the vehicle, we’ve probably dealt with it before.

No one system can serve every requirement though which is why the RWM is such a good opportunity to chat about your requirements. The right system for keeping caged tippers legal probably won’t be the right system for monitoring throughput at a recycling centre.

And our customers include both those applications and more.

If you have an issue with keeping collection vehicles legal when out on the road, then the Axtec OnBoard Load Indicator will monitor weights throughout the round.

If it’s maximising loads on bulk vehicles taking waste for processing or monitoring throughput for statistical purposes, then the Axtec Dynamic Axle Weighbridge will provide the information you need.

But both of those systems are capable of much more than just weighing axles.

Axtec OnBoard can output detailed information to a tracking device – individual axle weights, gross weights, overload alarms – which may then be reported back to base.

The Dynamic Axle Weighbridge can be Stamped as a Public Weighbridge, the only one of its type which can, which means you can offer it to other hauliers and legally charge them for the use of it thus adding a revenue stream to your operation.

Latest Touch Screen Technology on show at RWM

This is the same system that is the choice of the government body DVSA (Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency) for its national network of vehicle weight enforcement weighbridges and is certified as the most accurate system of its type in the world.

Both these systems make use of the latest touch screen and wireless technology making them simple to use, reliable and difficult to break. Vital when working in the harsh world of recycling.

The RWM is an excellent opportunity to discuss the latest thinking and technology in recycling and we’ll be there with the latest products in our range.

So if your shopping list includes vehicle weighing equipment come and see us, stand 5P151 remember, and let’s talk.

Best advice always for customers we can't help.

Well the RWM is over for another year and it’s time to get working on the enquiries, of which we had plenty this year.

And some very interesting ones there were too. Especially the client who was going to demand his money back from a competitor for selling him something not fit for purpose.

We have a strict policy of not taking orders for equipment that won’t do the job. We turn down quite a bit of business because we feel that in the long term,  selling something which isn’t right for the application does more harm than good.

It’s a sure fire way of ruining a hard won reputation and a sure fire way of wasting a customer’s time.

Two of the enquiries we took at the RWM fall into that category.

Both customers were very keen on our product and on the face of it, it suited their needs well. But discussing their needs on the stand is not the best way to determine if the system will be right for them.  So we paid a visit to both sites last week to take a closer look.

One of the big advantages of our Dynamic Axle Weighbridge is that it takes up very little space so on the face of it, a yard with little room would be ideally suited for an installation. Another big plus is that the system has only a shallow pit with corner access covers so is very easy to keep clean.

Both customers were operating vehicles up to and including 8-wheelers in the skip hire field but unfortunately both were operating from yards which would prove tricky to equip.

One was very limited for space which meant their operation would halt during the installation process. The other was on such a steep an incline which, whilst it could be corrected, would have meant an enormous bill for the construction work.

Not all sites are as suitable as this one for an axle weigher

So we advised the customers of the issues, difficulties and costs and gave them information on alternative options from other manufacturers which might suit them.

Which meant we walked away from the business.

There are some companies who would have tried to make the system fit. Or perhaps not told the clients all the potential costs involved in the installation.

Of course there are upsides to turning away business as well. Customers know they will get an honest opinion from us, can trust our judgement and be sure that they won’t be sold something that doesn’t suit their needs.

And those people are usually quite keen to recommend us to others who we may be better able to help, so in the end everyone’s a winner!

Waste weighing? One customers tale.

The RWM is THE exhibition for anyone handling or processing waste in any way, shape or form. 

So with the Show starting at the NEC tomorrow (15 September 2015) and running for the three days, it seemed appropriate to tell a story of how we improved efficiency for one of our customers in this sector.

H W Martin is one half of a public/private sector alliance that each year processes over 60,000 tonnes of dry recyclable materials collected by the council from the City’s 715,000 residents.

Six days a week material is delivered to the three acre site in Hunslett, where a team of 40 people sort it into its various categories using a highly mechanised system, with over 95% going for re-use. The constant flow of vehicles required a system for the fast and accurate weighing of both inbound and outbound vehicles to trade standards.

Limited space ruled out a conventional plate weighbridge but a better option was found with our dynamic weighbridge. This occupies a floor space of only 3 by 1 metres and vehicles are weighed in motion as they pass over at about walking pace.

Inbound and outbound axle weighbridges were installed as the site operates a one-way system with separate entrances and exits.

Further efficiencies came from the integration of the data coming from the two weighbridges with ISYS software. Data can be consolidated and stored for reporting and accounting purposes and weighbridge tickets can be instantly printed out. The use of a CCTV system to read number plates provides additional back-up.

 Our own in-house construction team undertook the work, which involved preparing the pits into which the weighbridges are placed and ensuring an absolutely level approach to them.

Fast, accurate axle weighing using an Axtec Dynamic system

The Axtec dynamic is the most accurate of its type in the world and has official certification that verifies accuracy to within 0.25%.

This is the same system that is the choice of the government body DVSA (Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency) for its national network of vehicle weight enforcement weighbridges.

So pleased were H W Martin with the finished result that they asked us to construct the pits for the loading conveyors, which also needed to be carried out to a very high standard of accuracy.

So if you’re looking for a fast, accurate, space saving solution for your waste weighing application, come and see us on stand 5P151 at the NEC this week and we’ll be pleased to show you what we can do.

Weighing waste? See you at RWM in September.

 The biggest waste and recycling exhibition in the country is just around the corner. The RWM Show is on at the NEC from 15-17 September for those that didn’t know.

It’s a terrific opportunity to meet with clients old and new and discuss the latest thinking and technology in recycling.

Monitoring waste throughput is vital these days. Almost every week we receive a tender from a local authority or private contractor for equipment to weigh waste.

And many of those applications can be served using an axle weighbridge.

The traditional plate weighbridge has an important role to play. There will always be applications where a large platform is essential. Those that need to weigh the vehicle as it’s being loaded for instance, but our Dynamic Axle Weighbridge can do everything  a plate weighbridge does and more.

And a smaller dynamic weighing platform could offer a number of advantages.

Space is always at premium these days. Just look at the old yellow platform weighbridge in the background of the picture and how much space it takes up compared with the axle weighbridge in the foreground.

An axle weighbridge - much less room needed.

The small footprint of an axle weighbridge means that it takes up very little space in the yard. Unlike a traditional 15m surface mounted weighbridge which will need about 47m of clear space to allow for vehicle approaches, ramps and the weighbridge itself.

Trading Standards advise us that the most common reason for a weighbridge to have its Approval revoked is debris building up under the platform. A large plate weighbridge might need the hire of an expensive crane to move the platform for cleaning.

The axle weighbridge has a very shallow pit and ours has corner pockets allowing most maintenance to be done without removing the platform.

But being a small platform, if really necessary, the whole thing can be lifted clear of the pit using a forklift or similar. The type of lifting facility most operators have readily available on site.

Be warned though – not axle weighbridges achieve the required standard allowing them to be Stamped for buying and selling.

The Axtec system is though. And in fact it achieves the necessary accuracy to be offered as a Public Weighbridge too.

So it could earn some money for your operation..

Interested?

We’ll be on stand 5P151 at the exhibition if you’d like to come and have a chat about your waste weighing needs.

Is 99.9% was good enough...

Achieving 99.9% accuracy in anything would seem to be pretty impressive. 

But according to some research done a while ago, it may not be good enough.

Apparently, 99.9% accuracy would mean that the US Postal Service would mis-handle 18,322 items per hour. Doctors would write 20,000 incorrect drug prescriptions per year. Manufacturers would produce 5.5 million cases of fizzy drinks that were flat. And two planes per day landing at Chicago O’Hare airport would be unsafe.

These statistics and more are freely available on line. Just Google “If 99.9% was good enough” to check yourself.

Accuracy then is key but just how accurate is your axle weighing system?

Weighing a heavy goods vehicle on a system that is accurate to 2% might sound impressive. But 2% of what?  Two systems which claim to weigh to within 2% can actually have wildly different accuracy.

For a percentage to be meaningful, you have to know what 100% is. But the weighing machine doesn’t know what 100% of the axle weight is. If it did, why not display it?

An axle Weighbridge - but how accurate it it?

So what does the 2% refer to?

When scale manufacturers refer to accuracy as a percentage, they mean a percentage of the capacity of the weighing machine.

If a machine has a capacity of 30,000kg with an accuracy of 2%, it means it will weigh to within 600kg.

If a machine has an accuracy of 2% but a capacity of 15,000kg then it will weigh to within 300kg.

Both machines have the same accuracy statement but the lower capacity machine will offer twice the accuracy

And weighing your vehicle on a system that was only accurate to within 600kg would leave it very vulnerable to a prosecution for overloading.

We strive for the greatest accuracy we can when designing a system. Our dynamic axle weighbridge for instance can achieve an accuracy of 0.25%. With a capacity of 20,000kg, more than enough to weigh the heaviest vehicle on the road, that means an axle will be weighed to within 50kg.

Some manufacturers like to muddy the waters by quoting OIML Class numbers or even not quoting an accuracy figure at all.

So how accurate is your axle weighing system? If you think we can help check for you then we’d be happy to do so.

It might prove to be an eye opening exercise.

You’ve got to know what you’re doing with weighpads.

We had another interesting call the other day from a long standing customer. 

Having invested heavily in our OnBoard Axle Load Indicators to avoid overloading, he was naturally perturbed to be told by someone that the front axle on a 3-axle rigid was apparently overloaded even with the vehicle empty.

Keen to establish the facts we sent a trained engineer with a set of calibrated weighpads to ensure that all was well. Sure enough, we found nothing amiss with the OnBoard Indicator working well and displaying all of the axle weights accurately.

Certainly the front axle was heavy with a large crane mounted just behind the cab but even at full load it was still legal.

One interesting aspect was the amount of apparent overload; a tonne is quite a significant difference between what was being indicated and what the customer had been told the axle weighed. Given that considerable time and effort had been taken to design the vehicle prior to it being ordered it seemed unlikely that the calculations were out by such a wide margin.

Upon investigation we discovered that a third party had weighed the vehicle using a set of portable weighpads .This inevitably worried our customer as we had set his OnBoard Indicator up using a set of weighpads, standard procedure when we are calibrating a new system.

To set the customers mind at ease we arranged for the vehicle to be weighed at a calibrated enforcement axle weighbridge  and, sure enough the weights obtained there proved that the front axle wasn’t overloaded.

Portable weighpad. Is it being used correctly?

The conclusion we all drew was that the third party who had weighed the vehicle had done it incorrectly; not unusual if, as many people do, the weighpads are used incorrectly by simply placing them on the ground and parking an axle on them.

It’s more complex than that and you have to know what you are doing.

Having satisfied our customer that his OnBoard Indicator was correct and that we had correctly set it up using our weighpads we have now arranged for the other company to be trained in how to operate weighpads properly and avoid any future issues.

Regular visitors to this blog will know that the subject of weighpads and their potential pitfalls comes up quite often. Weighpads are an excellent tool that have many uses but they have to be used in the right circumstances and in the right way if they are to provide accurate information.

Almost time for THAT show!

It’s that time of year again and the excitement is starting to grow. Excitement isn’t too strong a word either as we all prepare for the CV Show 2015.

It’s a great industry event and a ‘must do’ for anyone involved in commercial vehicles.

Whatever you’re in the market for it will be on show at the NEC and whilst much buying is done on line these days, there’s still nothing quite like being face to face with a customer or for the customer to physically see and get his hands on the product.

This is essential especially if you’re in the market for a technical product like an axle weighbridge.  Whilst it’s tempting to buy something cheap on line, the horror stories we hear from people who have tried that are legion.

It seems that some of the chassis manufacturers won’t be at the show this year, possibly because they have no new products to launch and their new Euro 6 models were on show last year. Of course they have to make their own minds up how to spend their budget but we feel that the CV Show really is the place to be.

You may not have a new product to show but it seems to us a great way of showing your wares to potential customers who are currently buying a competitive product.

Often it’s the only chance during the year to meet up with old contacts as well as meet new customers.

But old contacts can be a great source of business as well. Often too busy when their in the office, a brief chat on an exhibition stand gives them the opportunity to explore new ideas and maybe expand on what they already have.

The customer who wanted to move his instrumentation without it costing the earth was one.  Ducting to the new location was going to be expensive and cause massive disruption to his operation but when we told him about our wireless capability the whole job became much more achievable and cost effective.

Without visiting us at the show he wouldn’t have known we had that capability and we would never have known he was thinking of changing his operation.

Then there are the guys who are looking to improve the service they are getting. We speak to numerous customers who didn’t talk to someone face to face, bought something off the internet and regretted it. Fortunately we’ve got 30+ years experience in axle weighing and there aren’t many issues we can’t solve.

An axle weighing system for any application at The CV Show

So if you need advice on what is the right, and most cost effective, system for your needs, head down to the CV Show at the NEC next month. Even if it's not an axle weighing system you're looking for, there will almost certainly be an expert there with the solution for you.

We'll be on stand A5111 so for all things axle weighing feel free to come along and say hello.

Busting those myths about axle weighbridges!

Another show has been and gone, this time the premier show for those involved in waste and recycling, RWM at the NEC and as usual it provided a good set of new leads and raised a few questions.

As well as ourselves there were many companies exhibiting which were offering high tech solutions to all manner of problems and it was interesting talking to fellow exhibitors and discovering how slowly new technology is sometimes adopted and how old ideas can persist.

One of the great things about exhibitions is spotting a new way of doing something or planting ideas about what the market needs into the minds of suppliers. Manufacturers will always be on the look out for new opportunities to serve their market whether that be in axle weighing or any other field.

Yet there are some ideas which seem very firmly entrenched and difficult to shift.

There are two that we encounter frequently; dynamic axle weighbridges cannot be used for Trade and they need more space that a traditional plate weighbridge.

Small yard? A dynamic axle weigher takes up  little space.

Dynamic axle weighbridges have been Approved for use for Trade for many years now. Twelve or more years but it seems that some in the waste industry haven't picked up on that yet. Our dynamic axle weighbridge is the most accurate of its type in the world and as well as being Approved for Trade, it's actually accurate enough to be offered for Public weighing as well.

We've been using the one in our yard for that purpose for years.

The space issue is a bit of a red herring. It's true that typically 30m is required for a dynamic axle weighbridge but all but about 1m of that is just concrete. When a vehicle isn't being weighed, it can be used just like any other piece of yard concrete for parking, turning etc. And it certainly isn't in the way like any surface mounted platform would be.

An articulated vehicle needs much more than 30m to use a traditional plate weighbridge. It needs to be straight when approaching the system so with a typical 13m wheelbase that means a 13m clear area ahead of the approach ramp. The ramps are typically 3m long then there's the weighbridge deck at 15m. The last axle of the vehicle needs to be clear of the ramp before the vehicle can start turning safely so that needs another 13m beyond the end ramp.

All this means a total area of around 47m, some 17m longer than is needed for a dynamic axle weighbridge.

There are other benefits too; being flush mounted a dynamic axle weigher offers no above ground 'target' to be hit by wayward drivers. So damage to weighbridge, truck, tyres etc is minimised if not eliminated.

If space saving is important, then a dynamic axle weigher offers an excellent alternative to the traditional plate weighbridge.

And don't forget you CAN legally use a dynamic axle weighbridge for Trade as well.

It's show time!!

All the planning has been done, the pictures and equipment packed and ready and the ancillary items booked. All we need to do now is head for the NEC on Monday and set up the stand.

So if you're attending the Recycling & Waste Management Show (RWM) next week, feel free to come and see us on stand 5P151.

Exhibitions are usually an interesting time and next week should be no different.

Weighing waste may seem an odd thing to do for those not in the industry but it makes perfect sense to those that are. And investing in the right equipment can make a huge difference to the bottom line of a business.

Not only is it vital to ensure vehicles are not overloaded, overloading effects all the major components on a vehicle - brakes, tyres, steering, suspension, clutch etc and can lead to expensive repair bills not to mention a potential fine, loss of 'O' licence or even the whole business.

But underloading is almost as big a problem for some. Vehicles need to be operated at maximum weight all the time if customers are to squeeze the most out of them. Operating a vehicle at anything less than maximum weight is a huge drain on a companies cash.

A year or so ago we were approached by a customer who had exactly this problem. Transporting waste that couldn't be recycled to landfill was a necessary part of his business but despite filling his vehicles, the weights being tipped were actually quite light.

How then to maximise the loads being carried without overloading?

The answer was an Axtec Dynamic Axle Weighbridge and the results were quite astonishing.

With his own axle weighing facility, he discovered that he could get a whopping one-third more on each vehicle every trip. That reduced his vehicle movements by 30%. So that's 30% less fuel, 30% less wear and tear and 30% less landfill fees.

Could you save money by getting more on each truck?

The axle weighbridge paid for itself in a matter of weeks and has been adding to his profits ever since.

Whilst our customer always thought he could get more on each of his vehicles, he never had the means to check it. And he certainly never expected to be able to compact it as much as he could and get so much more on each vehicle.

And without the right axle weighbridge he would have continued with the educated guesswork he had been employing for years and which had been costing his business money.

Do you have similar concerns? Are you that customer who, despite vast experience in the field, can still get the guesswork wrong? And with all the technology available now, should it be left to guesswork these days at all?

If you are, we'll be happy to have a chat next week at the NEC. Don't forget now, stand 5P151. It could be quite a profitable conversation.