New Trade Approved Skip Weighing System Promises Better Margins

Avery Weigh-Tronix claims that the launch of its trade-approved skip weighing system, called Sureweigh, will improve margins for the recycling and waste industry.

Says Chris McAllister, product manager for Avery Weigh-Tronix:  “Operators collecting skips have greater financial pressures than ever before.  Margins are tight and fuel and waste disposal costs are rising.  In addition regulations on landfill and health and safety are more stringent.

“Using a legal for trade skip weighing system provides organisations with the option of charging by load, by weight or by weight bands.  It means that you can offer competitive hire prices and be sure of covering your costs. 

“It also means that recyclers using skips can now charge or check the weight of the skip when it is collected and provide a ticket or receipt on the spot.  There is no need to visit a weighbridge for verification.  This saves time and means that more pick ups, drop offs and swaps are possible per driver.”

Skip weighing also ensures that you do not overload your vehicle, but can still carry an optimum load. An audible alarm will sound if the skip is too heavy.

An easy to use display shows you the weight of the skip and you can opt for in-cab printing to give receipts on the spot, download data to a PC or add Bluetooth for data transfer.

New Trade Approved Skip Weighing System Promises Better Margins
The indicator has weighing routines for delivering an empty skip, collecting it when it is full and for changeover.  As well as recording the gross and tare weights, you can enter the customer’s name and skip ID and the device will automatically date and time stamp each transaction.  Other records can include vehicle registration number and consecutive numbers for traceability.

Sureweigh can be retrofitted to existing vehicles with minimal downtime.  You can purchase it as a legal for trade system or as a basic system, which you can then upgrade to a legal for trade system at a later date.  

The skip weighing system is suitable for virtually any make of truck with either fixed or telescopic arms.  Digital load cells replace the chain hangar bracket in the saddle of the skip arms, so the arms can move without affecting the results. 

There is no cabling since the load cells communicate with the indicator by wifi.  The load cells are powered by regular D cell batteries that can be purchased in most retail stores.  They are easy to replace and will last between 4 to 6 months.

Says McAllister:  “The digital load cell technology used is proven in thousands of weighbridges in some of the most demanding situations on earth.  Skip trucks are subjected to harsh treatment and our system is the most robust in the UK market.”

The Avery Weigh-Tronix skip weighing system is subjected to a number of tests including shock tests to simulate a skip truck’s working conditions, environmental chamber tests and testing to four times normal working load — 32 tonnes per load cell.  The system is EC type approved for whole vehicle type approval.  It has a capacity of up to 16 tonnes in 20kg increments, making it as accurate as a weighbridge.