News
Leading engineering consultancy, AV Technology (AVT), has today launched a new retro-fit system for accurately displaying the contents weight in a silo.
AVT’s Silo-Weigh kit (SWK-1) is a true weighing system which provides a cost effective alternative to load cells and which users can easily fit by themselves to most existing silos. The system can be easily fitted during normal plant operation without structural modifications to provide an accurate and reliable state of the art inventory control system.
Based upon over 15 years development, the SWK-1 uses proven technology to provide the highest accuracy of any such retrofit system and has been designed to be simple to install and calibrate by non-specialist engineers and technicians.
The SWK-1 uses innovative bolt-on strain sensors to measure the actual weight of a silo vessel, giving a true reading of the amount of contents. It provides a precise measurement with typical accuracies to within 1-2%.
AVT already has a track record spanning over 15 years of developing standalone and integrated silo weighing systems, and the consultancy’s equipment is used throughout the world.
Although AVT’s silo weigh system has been very successful it has relied upon AVT’s experienced engineers visiting customer sites to correctly install and commission the system. However, after a result of 12 months extensive development by the consultancy, including a number of successful trials in the UK and USA, AVT has launched a new simple to install, cost-effective silo weigh system which can now be targeted at the export market.
Neil Parkinson, AVT’s Technical Director, said: “We wanted to create a solution that combines best-in-class accuracy but with a simple retro-fit system which could be fitted by the operators own non-specialist personnel onto existing silos. The new system allows us to serve our existing client base overseas, and opens up new opportunities internationally for us due to the simplicity of installation and delivery.”
AVT’s SWK-1 Kit can be fitted on-site to most existing silo vessels across a wide range of industries including cement, flour, grains, sugar, chemicals and plastics. It uses special sensors that are bolted onto the silo supports to measure the stress and hence the weight in the vessel, and is not affected by changes in weather or extreme conditions.
Many of AVT’s clients has found that accurate inventory control has lead to significant cost savings in being able to optimise deliveries, reducing labour from carrying out manual checks and also being able to pass the responsibility of maintaining material supply to their suppliers.
Parkinson continued: “Monitoring day-to-day stock levels in these vessels are essential to many of our client’s who ensure continuity of production, and the new system provides excellent stability and includes all the standard features and benefits of our existing silo weigh equipment.”
For further information visit www.siloweigh.com.