The cooperation between the Port of Kokkola and Tamtron (former Lahti Precision) began a decade ago, when the weighing systems of the port’s cranes were renewed. In early 2020, co-operation deepened with a new vehicle scale acquisition. The scale owned by the operator had come to the end of its life cycle and had to be replaced by a functional scale with the capability to connect to a digital system. Tamtron’s products and expert service brought solutions to the challenges.
The starting point for the project was a decades-old scale that had to be updated to meet today’s criteria. For the scale and the weighing system were immediately set heavy requirements: there are many weighing`s, so the scale must be able to withstand heavy stressful use. The scale must also be reliable and the flow of information fast and accurate, as the ship must receive accurate and required reports on the weighing during the loading and unloading phase. Also, the demanding weather conditions and maritime climate in the north also brought their own demands on the weighing device.
Weighing in the demanding conditions of the north
It was decided to supply a steel scale to the Port of Kokkola, as it was considered an easily mobile scale to better serve the needs of the port. The equipment had to consider the demanding maritime conditions in which the scale is used. Slightly more height (600 mm) was also constructed into the scale than ordinary cheap imported scales, which helps e.g. with northern natural phenomena such as snow, sleet and freezing conditions. The scale was equipped with a heating function to keep it dry and to keep the snow melted, thus improving the safety of the scale, which was one of the criteria determining the type of the scale.
“When the old scale needed to be modernized, at that stage we started to think about jointly purchasing a new weighing scale together with the Port of kokkola. The challenge was to get the cargo determined as accurately and efficiently as possible, because we have weighing events very frequently. Tamtron’s weighing system enabled the weighing of several orders at the same time and their management and with easy reporting. Now we can perform all operations with real efficiency on the new scale, ”says Kimmo Satomaa, Production Manager of Oy Otto Roden Ab in the Port of Kokkola.
Reliable and efficient data transmission made with a digital weighing service
The weighing information from the scale was wanted to be seamlessly used by companies in the area. In the port, it is especially important that the customer receives the right quantity of load, so it must be able to be done reliably. Essential to a weighing system is that it is efficient in terms of data transfer and functionality. mScales is a new type of digital weighing service developed by Tamtron, which combines a weighing and business system into one entity. Weighing service mScales automates the weighing process and the weighing are managed in real time. All information related to weighing is easily available to all stakeholders.
“mScales has changed our day-to-today work in the port so that we can now transcribe weighing tickets. The digital mScales system considerably reduces the need for on-site visits and facilitates the upkeep of the maintenance of the transport register. “In the future, it will be possible to place similar Tamtron scales within the port area. When the scales have the same software, it is much easier to implement further weighing services”, says Jyrki Roukala, Kokkola Port Development Manager.
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WeighingLAHTI products are modern, high-quality and reliable industrial scales or systems containing advanced weighing techniques.
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