Salt management with StrainCell!

The saison is almost over and in few communes salt silos are still completely full. In other areas salt was still gritted to road safety. But how much? And how much salt is needed for next winter? In order to answer these questions the road maintenance depots, builder’s yards, national associations, and each who maintain salt reserves, is in need of accurate information about its inventory. The administration and processing only worth it, when these data also are real and correct.

Do you still measure the distance or do you weighing yet?

The commune Meppen in the national association Niedersachsen has addressed to us with exactly that difficulty. The existing measurement system as distance metering for a wood silo of 300t with steel frame and V-staves couldn’t deliver the required performance roughly.

Our offer to equip that silo with 4 StrainCells was taken on by the operator. Other provider need 8 or more sensors for measurement with strain gauges (DMS) or force sensors which has to drill inside. There were doubts after we guaranteed the function and accuracy of our measurement. The accuracy should be 1% or better, this is especially important on withdrawal of the individual fritters. Through windlasses and temperature fluctuations over the day inaccuracies were expected, based on experiences with DMS providers.

StrainCell is a world wide unique load!

An essential element of upgraded load technique is the structure of the sensor and the right, but individual placing of sensors. The technology is deduced from a conventional load cell or expansion chamber. An electronic full bridge with › 360° sensor function. Determined by the system StrainCell is fitted with a mechanic and electronic temperature compensation. Temperature fluctuations hardly don’t matter, as their metallically expansion or shrinkings are compensated directly at the sensor surface and don’t have bearing on the measurement result. Only the loadrelated deformation is reacting to the measurement result.

After the suitable position was discovered and the sensors installed, by our techniqueal expert, the first filling and a calibration could be performed. Further deliveries were used for the system calibration and the operator could start for the new season 2013/2014. In spring 2014 we could drew a finally conclusion with the operator: „An awfully good operative measuring station, which exceeds our expectations beyond and which fulfill the guaranteed accomplishments.“ This statement approved to us that the StrainCell is an alternative to the load cell and achieves an equal accuracy.