As you have a lot to do with silos yourself, you are probably most familiar with one major problem. In order for goods to be removed and stored on time, the storage level must be known exactly. There is another way to measure the weight of silos: with strain gages.
To ensure that you always know exactly how much bulk material is in your silos, the contents must be measured. You can carry out an inventory check relatively easily using fill level measuring devices.
The large variety of manufacturers in combination with numerous different measuring methods make it possible to purchase such measuring devices quite inexpensively.
Another advantage for you could be the simple installation of such level measuring devices.
However, if the bulk material is only measured, there is a risk of high deviations and incorrect measurement results due to numerous sources of error and disturbance variables, which inevitably lead to increased operating costs.
The problem with level measurement
With this type of measurement, however, you only measure the bulk material exactly as it is poured into the silo. Due to the conditions of the bulk material, irregular cones, bridges, chimneys or even cavities can form.
As you can already imagine, this falsifies the measurement results and can lead to an incorrect storage level.
If the silo was still full to the brim the day before, the cavities loosen and the next day the silo level measurement shows up to a third less content.
In the worst-case scenario, the silo will be empty sooner than you thought and production will come to a standstill. Although you may be able to avoid the standstill by making overpriced express deliveries, a lot of your capital is lost.
During the filling of the silo, these measured values become even less accurate. This can be attributed to the high level of dust formation.
Particularly high deviations occur, for example, with cement, chalk, hydrated lime and many other materials.
The values determined by the level measurement therefore reflect irregular jumps. The challenge is therefore to measure the weight and therefore the fill level without major deviations.
Reliable content control on a weight basis provides a remedy and eliminates the above-mentioned problems at low cost.
Strain gauges: a retrofittable solution
We at Hense Wägetechnik offer you a cost-effective and easily retrofittable solution. Additional inventory control can be carried out by recording weights using strain gages.
The strain gauge sensors can be easily retrofitted as they are simply glued or screwed onto the support structure.
This means that you can also retrofit existing silos that are built on supports, frames or another support structure.
To ensure that the measured values of the weight measurement are not falsified by temperatures, we install temperature-compensating strain gauges.
With this technology, it is not the weight that is measured directly, but the expansion or compression and therefore the deformation of the carrier material. This is done with strain gauge sensors, which are firmly connected to a carrier.
The sensors are subject to the same deformation as the carrier itself, which is caused by a change in weight.
Even small deformations change the electrical resistance.
This is continuously monitored by a measuring unit, which determines the change in weight. The so-called evaluation unit.
DMS: Strain gauge sensors and installation
Once a system is in operation, it is of course particularly difficult for you to make changes.
Every downtime of your system means lost time and therefore lost turnover.
Our technicians retrofit your silos during normal operation. Installation is particularly simple and only takes a few hours. Our high-quality strain gauge sensors are generally considered to be trouble-free, reliable and low-maintenance.
To ensure that your system does not fail at any time, we carry out regular maintenance of the entire measuring system.
The strain gauge sensors are attached to double-T support profiles, tubular supports or frames using high-strength machine screws.
As the different materials of the support structure can also generate different expansion or compression due to different temperature coefficients, sensors must be specially adapted to compensate for this error.
close-up image stain gauge sensor, retrofit silo weighing system
We offer special sensors for materials such as stainless steel, aluminum and structural steel. In order to take into account compression, elongation, bending and shear, several sensors are attached to measure these changes in length.
This is usually only a few micrometers in size. Depending on the size of the silo, the contents and the desired accuracy of the measurement results, between two and eight strain gauge sensors are usually required.
This type of weight measurement is most frequently used for loading silos, lime silos, bicarbonate silos or floor-standing silos.
To keep costs affordable, up to eight silos can be connected to a single display unit. Connection to higher-level systems is also possible thanks to the output of analog signals, RS232 interface and Profibus DP.
The sensors themselves naturally withstand all weather conditions. With a protection class of IP65, they are protected against both dust and water jets.
The display units have an even higher protection class and are available both as a built-in version and as an external display unit.
Advice and services offered
So that you no longer have to deal with such problems, we support you right from the planning stage of new systems.
We are also happy to advise you on improving and increasing the efficiency of your existing system.
To keep the planning time as short as possible, we visit you directly on site and take a close look at your problems.
This enables us to find a customized and individual solution for you in the shortest possible time. Together, we will find an extremely economical and cost-effective solution for every application.
A preliminary consultation can of course also be carried out by telephone and provides you with an initial overview of us, Hense Wägetechnik.
You also don't have to worry about compliance with international standards and other directives. Our devices are internationally approved and can also be calibrated on request.
Conclusion
- If you weigh your silos with strain gauge sensors, you obtain extremely precise measured values
- The measured values remain accurate even during the filling process
- This type of level measurement is easy to install and only takes a few hours
- Silos with supporting structures or frames can also be easily retrofitted with our measuring system; sensors are simply screwed to the supports for this purpose
- We offer individual advice on the various measurement technologies and support you from the initial consultation through to commissioning
- Installation and maintenance are also carried out from a single source, but are rarely necessary thanks to the low-maintenance devices
- Cost-effective, but still an accurate solution to the perennial level measurement problem
- Amortization after just a short time (a few months)