How to Track Your Production with Mobile Crushers
You can't control what you don't measure.
How to Track Your Production with Mobile Crushers
You can't control what you don't measure.
The More You Know. The Better You Are.
Tracking your production is important for assessing your efficiency and billing your customers. If you don’t track your output, you are constantly being questioned, and your customers dispute bills. Using a measuring system such as a belt scale allows you to bill your customers faster and identify changes in your productivity.
Measurement Principles
There are 2 different approaches to measuring your material:
Volumetric measurement
The volume (cubic yards / cubic meters) is measured through imaging or sensors. To reach a final tonnage, multiply the volume by the material's specific weight. This exercise becomes harder when dealing with a mix of materials (e.g., recycling applications).
This system is available as a belt scale on a crusher (e.g., H-Sensortechnik) or as an app on your phone (e.g., SR Measure) to measure the stockpile.
Gravimetric measurement
A gravimetric scale measures the actual tonnage or tons per hour. The weight is measured by sensing the force on a conveyor idler via a load cell.
The scale measures the speed of the conveyor belt through a speed sensor. The tonnage per hour is computed by multiplying the weight of the material measured over a certain length (load cell) by the speed of the conveyor (material travel rate). Numerous manufacturers can retrofit a gravemetric scale on your mobile equipment (e.g. Beltway Scales)
Vibration and Dust May Affect the Reading of Volumetric Scales
Every measurement is subject to external influences. A gravimetric belt scale should not be exposed to vibration and dust to generate an accurate read-out. The placement of a volumetric scale on the crusher discharge conveyor matters; it should be further away from the crusher to avoid vibration from material dropping onto the belt.
A zero calibration should be performed daily or as soon as the crusher is moved to ensure the load cells work properly and the read-out is replicable and accurate. This is done by running the conveyor belt while it is empty to check if the scale shows no weight.
Mounting a Belt-Scale on a Mobile Crusher Can be a Challenge.
Many belt-scale integrators struggle to find a suitable spot for mounting a load cell. Compared to a static conveyor system, mobile crusher discharge conveyors offer little room between the output section (where material is dropped onto the conveyor) and the head drum. This is due to the short length and the conveyor base frame design.
RUBBLE MASTER crushers have prefabricated mounting points to retrofit a native gravimetric belt scale easily. Also, volumetric scale solutions can be retrofitted easily.
Mounting a Volumetric Scale on an Independent Stacking Conveyor is Easier and Provides Most Flexibility
Many contractors place the belt scale on stacking conveyors to reduce vibrations. Having the belt scale on a stacker allows you to use the scale also with other crushers or screens. If the belt scale is mounted on the crusher, you can measure the crusher’s output only.
RUBBLE MASTER’s Native Crusher Belt Scale Provides More Intelligence About Your Operation
Why does a belt scale on a crusher make sense? First, you don’t need a separate piece of equipment that may be hard to move onto confined job sites. More importantly, RUBBLE MASTER’s belt scale is fully integrated into the RM XSMART telemetry solution. RM XSMART is included with new RUBBLE MASTER crushers and provides more clarity about your machine's condition and performance.
Combining a belt scale with telemetry has many benefits:
- You can keep an eye on your return and fine-tune the crusher. The RM XSMART app shows the % of material going back into a closed-loop system. An increasing % is an indicator to readjust your closed side setting.
- You can easily send jobsite reports to customers and your back office.
- You can compare jobs and become better at estimating crushing jobs.
Get a quote for a belt-scale for your RUBBLE MASTER crusher
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