Accurate and reliable belt scale tailored to the customer's needs

I was working at Lahti Precision even before I graduated as a mechanical and production engineer in 2018, so the company and the way to work were familiar when, after graduation, I started doing mechanical design from projects to weighing equipment design. In it, I learned to understand the production perspective and the customer’s needs in terms of design.

At the end of 2019 I began to orient more sales, and I’ve got plenty of additional information from Pekka Saarinen. With him, we have dealt with the definition of belt scales and the customers’ requirements for belt scales, both in theory and in practice. I have accumulated a wealth of know-how about other devices – I am familiar with in more detail in particular hopper scales, big bag systems and weighbridges. Thus, although I mainly focus on belt scales, it is important for the understanding of the whole that I have knowledge of weighing equipment more broadly.

Customized belt scale solutions

Belt scale projects largely follow the same formula. The customer typically has a conveyor already well designed and we collect the input data for determine the scale structure for the case. What really matters is all the information that can affect the operation of the scale. Sometimes, in the context of the initial data, it may be necessary to make changes to the conveyor specifications, such as adjusting the belt speed, in order to meet the conditions for the best operation of the scale.

What sets us apart from many other belt scale suppliers is that we always supply the scale dimensioned according to the conveyor and roller profile of the customer in question. When the scale is tailor made to a specific conveyor, the installation is easy and the rolls can be precisely aligned. It guarantees the customer a better end result, among other things in terms of measurement accuracy. Accurate and reliable measurement has a significant impact on the production process as well as its efficiency and smoothness.

Belt scales for weighing bulk materials

We also offer support in needs assessment and obtaining the necessary information. The first step is to find out what kind of conveyor it is and what kind of accuracy is sought for the scale. Through that, we start defining the scale type and we can start talking about prices.

Common materials to be weighed with belt scales include, for example, mine aggregates, wood chips, power plant coal, cement, fertilizers, and other bulk materials. Indeed, applications for belt weighers can be found in all areas where uninterrupted and accurate monitoring of bulk material flows is required. The belt scale can also be certified for commercial use. However, belt scales are typically used in the middle of the process, in which case they do not require commercial approval. However, we have implemented a few commercial belt scales. Our deliveries also include emissions trading scales for incineration plants for use in the CO₂ emissions monitoring and reporting process.

Belt scales and related service

At Lahti Precision, we do not leave the customer to their own devices after installation and commissioning, but our professional service department will provide assistance later on, if necessary, for the entire life cycle of the scale. When maintenance and inspections are carried out at appropriate intervals, the accuracy of the scale is ensured.

We have also tried to emphasize this in the sales process. We want to highlight our maintenance services already at the offer stage. In the most effortless option for the customer, we can take over everything from maintenance and inspections of the belt scale and its operation to the modernization of the scales. It is a good to do a maintenance and inspection cycle for the belt scale at least once a year. In this way, the scale will serve for a long time and you can be sure of its functionality. One important point is the regular in-service test weight checks to ensure that the accuracy of the scale is maintained and to identify any need for maintenance.

The combination of the conveyor and the belt scale is decisive

It must be remembered that a belt scale is not the only thing that affects the accuracy of weighing. In fact, the static weighing accuracy of the belt scale is very high, but the conveyor and the scale form a whole in which the actual weighing accuracy is obtained, taking into account all interfering factors and errors. In the case of dynamic weighing, the measurement error of the belt scale is typically in the order of ± 0.5 – 2%.

It is optimal that we get involved in the conveyor design process and can take a position at that stage if there is something problematic in the conveyor or plan as a whole. In addition to the more reliable operation of the scale, this saves time, effort and money.

Our expertise could be used even more in the installation and commissioning of the belt scale. Where many equipment suppliers only supply a single component, the advantage we offer is a comprehensive understanding of the weighing and all inclusive service.

Our expertise is like folklore. Knowledge and skills are transferred from each of our professionals to his or her successor, and this in turn brings new practices to the “soup” that he or she finds good. In the wake of Lahti Precision’s more than 100-year-old story, we have a pretty good soup on the stove, from which we share weighing information to our customers. Together with modern design techniques and case-specific documentation, this lays the foundation for our strong and diverse expertise. It is with the same professionalism that we do not solve only one problem or a small box, but we take the whole into account and offer solutions that benefit your entire business.

The author of the article is Sami Jaakonaho, Sales Manager. He has a wealth of knowledge not only of belt scales but also of other weighing equipment and systems.