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What are Overhead Weighing Solutions?
Overhead weighing solutions include equipment such as crane scales, dynamometers and more that meet safety regulations and ensure safe workplace operation.
Overhead weighing solutions are designed to meet or exceed local and federal safety regulations, ensuring safe workplace operation. Some types of overhead weighing solutions are crane scales, integrated solutions and dynamometers. Crane scales and other overhead weighing solutions offer a way to easily incorporate crane overload protection to a range of applications including port cargo handling, energy production, agriculture and aviation.
Crane Scales
Crane scales can handle light, medium or heavy capacity operations. Lighter capacity crane scales are most commonly used for indoor work center applications. Usually, the medium to heavy capacity crane scales are used in applications like bulk material handling, shipping and receiving, metal foundries and Class D electric bridge cranes. Heavy-duty crane scales can also be intrinsically safe with FM and ATEX approvals for crane safety even in explosive environments. Additionally, crane scales can be made for applications in marine environments, like port shipping or industrial fishing operations.
An integrated display on crane scales allows operators to monitor the lifted load from safe distances. Most crane scale models also provide wireless communication to remote handheld or mounted displays to support safe crane operation at multiple locations. Crane scales without an integrated display are generally medium to heavy capacity and take advantage of wireless network communication to connect to remote displays.
Integrated Solutions
Integrated systems are overhead weighing solutions that incorporate seamlessly into existing equipment by replacing load bearing components. A shear web load cell or a clevis load pin sensor can be added to a crane or pulley system, turning that system into a force monitoring system. A clamp-on load cell is a type of integrated solution that measures wire rope tension for overhead cranes and hoists.
An integrated overhead weighing solution can be most helpful for applications with constraints from existing infrastructure, industry standards, capacity or environment. When tested with calibration weights traceable to NIST, load pins have an accuracy of 1% or better. To ensure any weighing system maintains its accuracy, it is important to perform an initial calibration when the system is installed and regularly recalibrate the system throughout its life.
Through constant load monitoring, integrated solutions can help prevent overloads. Integrated solutions are customized to meet the specific overhead weighing needs of every application.
Dynamometers
Sometimes called tension link dynamometers or dyna links, these overhead weighing solutions can be used to measure either vertical or horizontal tension. Dynamometers are rugged but lightweight, making them ideal for rigging, load tests, crane and elevator certification, and other straight-line lifting applications. For safe, long-distance viewing, dynamometers can be connected to remote displays through wireless networks.
Indicators, Remote Displays and Wireless Network Solutions
Remote displays and indicators add an extra layer of safety, efficiency and control to overhead weighing solutions. Remote displays and indicators can be either handheld or wall-mounted units. Indicators increase process control with real-time information and easy programming for overload warnings. Remote displays, or repeaters and scoreboards, can also be added to the wireless network for additional displays so weight can be visible in several locations.
Wireless network solutions are an easy way to connect crane scales and overhead weighing solutions to indicators and remote displays. There are a variety of wireless connection systems with different operating distances. Network solutions can wirelessly connect load cells in overhead weighing solutions to remote indicators, and indicators to computers, scoreboards and printers.
MSI Overhead Weighing Solutions
Rice Lake Weighing Systems’ MSI (Measurement Systems International) has been delivering a comprehensive line of overhead weighing solutions since 1977. MSI overhead weighing solutions include everything from crane scales, integrated solutions and dynamometers to remote displays and wireless network solutions. Many MSI products also use ScaleCore for equipment configuration and setup, including calibration. MSI crane scales with ScaleCore can be connected to operate as one scale when lifting material with more than one pick point.
Rice Lake’s line of MSI Overhead Weighing solutions offers intrinsically safe and customizable solutions to ensure safety in every overhead weighing application.
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The MSI-9300 Port-A-Weigh Plus RF crane scale uses advanced CellScale™ technology to power medium- to heavy-capacity and duty-cycle crane scale applications.
MSI Shear Web Load Cell
The MSI-Shear Web Load Cell is an integrated, low-profile load cell that compensates for hook rotation and eliminates headroom loss without sacrificing accuracy.
