Automated Scale Placement System

An important part of machine performance analysis is knowing the weight of loaded vehicles and determining their center of gravity. The off-highway vehicle weigh station consists of two independent load cells that sit in a recessed concrete channel. Load cells are spread manually with heavy equipment to distances that accommodate vehicles of varying wheelbases. The automated scale placement system designed has electronically controlled retractable lifting rollers, winches and a distance sensor. The system installs without requiring modification to the existing load cells or scale channel and does not interfere with the weighing process. The retractable feature on the scale lifting mechanisms eliminates the need to support vehicle weights that can reach 800 tons. The system is controlled through an Arduino Mega microprocessor that interfaces with software run on a tablet. Implementation of this automated scale placement system allows a single user to prepare the weigh station for any vehicle in a matter of minutes and removes constraints the sponsor faces when needing to consecutively weigh vehicles of differing wheelbases.