Weighbridge control system improves turnaround times for Ennstone Johnston

Trucks are now processed eight times faster at Ennstone Johnston’s Cloud Hill site, in the East Midlands, following the installation of a new weighbridge control system from Avery Weigh-Tronix.

The company needed to increase the throughput of trucks in and out of the site following the opening of a new asphalt plant at the quarry. Previously, wagons checked in and out at the same weighbridge station, which meant long queues at busy times. While the actual filling time only took 5min, it could take nearly an hour to get a truck in and out of the site due to the bottleneck. Critically, asphalt was reducing in temperature by up to 50% while waiting to leave the site.

Ennstone Johnston decided to upgrade their existing weighbridge station and dedicate it to outbound traffic, while installing a completely new inbound station. Wagons now spend as little as 7min on site once they check in, which represents a significant improvement.

The new inbound system includes two bays, both with communication consoles to link the driver to the operations hub. The first features a new Bridgemont surface-mounted weighbridge. Here, the system records the tare weight at the beginning of the day and the driver receives a barcoded ticket with his order and delivery information. The second bay also dispenses tickets and is used for any subsequent visits, as the tare weight is already known.

After receiving a load of aggregates, concrete or asphalt, the driver proceeds to the refurbished out station. Here, Avery Weigh-Tronix replaced an existing bridge with a new Bridgemont XT, capable of handling the largest quarry vehicles. Two remote driver-operated consoles were also fitted.

At either station, the driver weighs the truck and scans the barcode on the ticket. If the truck is overweight for its classification, or if it did not weigh in prior to loading, a red light is displayed and the vehicle is prevented from exiting. The barcode is unique and expires once it is scanned, which reduces fraud by preventing repeat or unscrupulous filling.

Once the vehicle is approved to leave, the system prints a three-part ticket. The driver signs and leaves the first part as a record for Ennstone Johnston, and takes the other two for the transport company and end-customer records.

The entire weighbridge system was seamlessly integrated with the site’s existing quarry management software with minimal operator training time. According to Ennstone Johnston, not only does the new system manage their data efficiently while optimizing turnaround time, it also provides overload and fraud protection for the company.