Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/562664
27 AGGREGATES MANAGER September 2015 EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT by Russ Desilets T here's an urban legend out there about the company whose main- tenance crew mistakenly installed a new crusher with the rotor spinning backwards. It still worked! And you think you have issues? Companies purchase scales because the value of goods entering or exiting a facility is based on their weight. Without assured scale accuracy, a company can lose thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. Depending on the requirements and type of weighing device, annual maintenance costs for a truck scale may run anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000. If one compares that to the potential cost of weighing errors, most users find that a good scale maintenance program more than pays for itself. Oftentimes, it also pays for the actual cost of the scale. To be most effective, a scale maintenance program must have five key components: use of a state-licensed service provider; con- ducting calibration using state-certified test weights with written calibration and test re- port for proof of accuracy; a thorough testing process; visual inspection services and minor repairs; and thorough reporting. Calibration is the key component of periodic maintenance After a scale is installed, it is tested by the governing state's weights and measures organization. This test ensures the scale's commercial accuracy and protects the scale buyer, scale seller, and scale installation company. Upon state approval, the scale is certified and open for weighing. By incorporating the five key components of a good maintenance program, maintenance can more than pay for itself. A Sensible Approach to Approach Approach Scales