B & H Industrial Products, Inc. | Case Studies | Thayer Sensitive Belt Scale Improves Accuracy at Wood-Chipping Yard

Manufacturers Representative for Process Equipment since 1976..

Sensitive Belt Scale Dramatically Improves Accuracy at Wood-Chipping Yard

The Problem: Accuracy of a belt conveyor scale was a chronic problem and it was difficult to calibrate. The inconsistent accuracy affected the amount of money paid to the company.

The Equipment: THAYER Rocking Flexure (RF) Four-Idler Belt Scale - Model 4RF-6AR

The Solution: Consistent accuracy of weighing wood chips became a chronic problem for West Monroe Fibre Processing (WMF). WMF reduces logs to wood chips and conveys the chips to the Riverwood International mill where they are processed and become food containers or 12-pack boxes for beverages. To keep track of inventory and production (logs in compared with chips out, delivered tons per man-hour, etc.), WMF weighs the chips as they travel along the belt conveyor. The company gets paid by the amount of wood it delivers to the mill, therefore accuracy is a priority.

The Result: After replacing the existing Single-Idler Belt Scale with a THAYER RF (Rocking Flexure) Four-Idler Belt Scale the accuracy problems went away. Thayer guarantees that the belt scale's error rate will be less than +/- 0.5%. After installation of the new Thayer belt scale, the WMF crew ran some tests by weighing truckloads of chips that had been conveyed on the Thayer scale. The net weight of the truckloads ranged from 56,080 to 61,940 pounds and the tests showed discrepancies of only 60 pounds (-0.0968%) and 40 pounds (-0.0653%). This was a level of accuracy the WMF crew had never seen before. The WMF Area Manager said, "Instead of seeing daily variations of a full percentage point or a percent and a half, as we used to with our old equipment, we now see no more than a tenth-of-a-percent swing."

The story illustrates the benefits of Thayer's patented Force Measurement Suspension System (FMSS) technology, which measures net material weight only. Additionally, Thayer Scale is the only manufacturer that can provide accurate calibrations for all scale capacities using small bar-stock calibrating weights instead of heavy weights, test chains, or dummy signals.

B & H Industrial Products, Inc. | PO Box 68004 | Indianapolis, IN 46268 | 317.872.5806 | 317.875.5649 Fax