Clean out your truck scale before it freezes
The kids are back to school, the days are getting shorter and the leaves are starting to change. Yep, summer is officially over and fall is well underway. Which means that it’s the perfect time to make plans for cleaning out your truck scale before winter sets in and the weather dips below freezing.
Truck scales are almost always outside and pretty much always used in bulk weighing scenarios. This means that not only can product accumulate under or around your scale, but you’re likely to get dirt and the aforementioned leaves too. If this debris freezes, it can make your truck scale completely inoperable by locking critical suspension components or joints designed to flex, impacting accuracy and functionality.
Before your first freeze, it’s very important to make sure your truck scale is clean and clear of debris. Look under your scale and clear out debris with a hose or pressure washer. Ensure that your I-beams are clear of any dirt and debris to prevent deterioration.
Check the clearance between the end of your scale and the approach bulkhead to ensure that there are no trapped debris. Finally, inspect the edges of your scale deck by lifting any t-stripping and clearing away dirt and rocks that may have become trapped.
No time to do a thorough cleaning? Or don’t have the right people or ones who are willing to do it? Contact Cross Precision Measurement. We have over 80 years of experience with truck scales so you can count on us to make sure your scale is clean and weighing accurately.
What's New at Cross
New Gas Detection Partner: RKI Instruments
Cross Process Solutions is proud to announce that we have partnered with RKI Instruments to sell their fixed and portable gas detection products.
RKI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Riken Keiki, the largest gas detection and sensor manufacturer in the world. RKI offers a variety of wireless and wired fixed and portable gas detection solutions, as well as equipment for potentially explosive atmospheres and non-explosive for a variety of industries and gases.
The Cross Process Solution team is also highly experienced in all types of gas detection solutions. Get in touch today to talk about your particular application.
Custom Software for Scale Indicators
In the energy industry, scales are critical to quality, productivity and revenue. A scale indicator is the smarts behind the scale. Indicators connect to one or multiple scales and, at their simplest, provide the operator with weight information.
However, this is just a fraction of what a scale controller can do. They can also:
- Record weight and other identifying information about a weighment locally
- Transmit that data to ERP and/or quality systems for record keeping and billing
- Control complex processes like:
- Automatically blend or batch ingredients for precise recipe formulation
- Monitor liquid or gas filling
- Precision dosing
- Truck scale unattended kiosks and much more…..
In fact, the most advanced of them control multiple processes so are more properly called scale controllers. Cross has over 75 years of experience programming scale controllers to do precisely what an application calls for. From custom truck scale kiosks to multiple fiber blending lines and everything in between, our software engineers work with customers to understand their process and then program the controller to work efficiently and effectively.
Do you have an existing scale/controller combination but your process has changed so it’s no longer effective? Cross’s software engineers can work with you to update the controller’s programming to match your current process. We have experience with a wide range of brands and their programming languages. Give us a call if your scale system needs to be updated.
Did you know?
Cross is now Certified for ISO 10360 Portable CMM Arm Verification
ISO 10360-12 is a standard to verify the accuracy of articulated arm CMMs. Unlike previous standards, this standard doesn’t just verify up to the joint. It ensures a thorough verification across the full range of the arm when it is extended. This sets ISO 10360-12 apart from other standards such as B89.4.22, providing greater accuracy, reliability, and precision.
Understanding Autofocus in Optical Measurement
Focus in optical metrology systems is critical as it is the image of the part, not the part itself, that is being measured. If you have poor focus, the system will misinterpret edges and provide incorrect dimensional values. For fixed focal length optical systems, focus plays an additional role – the ability to optically measure depths. This is done accurately and repeatable through the utilization of autofocus. While the autofocus function itself seems logical, it can be quite technical. A correct understanding of the fundamentals of Autofocus for measurement will greatly improve utilization and reliability of the Autofocus function.
This is a comprehensive guide from Cross partner OGP to understanding focus in optical measurement, as well as how autofocus features work and how accurate they are.
Cross Provides Tangible Value for You
Improve Efficiency
Sometimes the little things can make your work just a bit easier. Like the new CSR 425 retractable holder for ball valves from Cross partner M4Knick. Designed specifically to work with 1″ process connections, it allows for the easy insertion and retraction of pH sensors under process conditions.
The CSR 425 is ideal for quick-disconnect sensors. You will never have to pull the cable completely through the fitting when changing out the sensor. It also allows you to easily replace old sensor technology as well as an option for applications requiring insertion depths of up to 11.5″.
Improve Efficiency
For processes with aggressive or otherwise particularly sensitive media, measuring pH, conductivity, or dissolved oxygen is not as easy as pulling measurements from the mainline. Some processes require a media sample to be extracted for treatment and conditioning before an accurate measurement can be made.
Sample conditioning allows operators to understand a process using media samples that would otherwise overwhelm or damage typical sensors due to high pressure, extreme heat or inconsistent flow rates. The experts in Cross Process Solutions can help specify the appropriate sample conditioning elements for your particular process from our partner M4Knick.
Reduce Risk
Looking to directly connect your devices and sensors in Ex Zones 0, 1 and 2? Not only can Ethernet APL from Cross partner Phoenix Contact be used in potentially explosive atmospheres but it’s also capable of bridging distances of up to 1km.
This means you can capture and analyze huge amounts of data from all around your plant, even in remote or hazardous areas. The data exchange is done via only two wires, reducing complexity with the option of also being able to supply power to connected devices on the same pair of wires.
