New Zealand-based company Loadscan will be making its steinexpo exhibition debut next month showcasing its latest payload management technology.
Loadscan’s Load Volume Scanner (LVS) systems utilise laser scanning and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technologies combined with software that creates 3D model images of trucks to measure the exact volume of the material loaded in a truck or trailer bin.
At the four-day
Loadscan says it was the first firm in the world to gain official trade approval for volumetric measurement of material loaded into open bodied bins. The company now boasts Certifications for Trade in both New Zealand & Australia with a proven accuracy of +/- 1%. With the recognition that comes with these trade approvals, Loadscan is rapidly gaining recognition in the civil construction, quarrying and bark products industries. Loadscan has exported its payload management technology to Canada, USA, Australia, Mexico, Mongolia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Russia, Senegal, Zambia, Switzerland, Germany, the Philippines and Indonesia.
The Loadscan LVS scanner systems are available in portable, semi-portable and fixed gantry models, to best suit the customer’s application. The range of measurable load materials and truck types has been extended. LVS devices are successfully operated on a full spectrum of truck and trailer designs including on-road truck and trailers, semi-trailers and centre-dumpers, as well as off-road articulated dumpers and quarry trucks.
The range finder lasers used in the LVS system are of the highest quality on the market and are said to be the only lasers available that pass the stringent metrological and accuracy testing required for Trade Approval.
The LVS-3TMM scanner is a fully self-contained mobile truck measurement unit that can be driven to a site and be fully setup and operational in as little as 45 minutes. There are a range of power options, plus the ability to transmit truck measurement load reports via Wi-Fi, Cellular Modem or Network cable. Loadscan is the inventor and first to launch the mobile truck measurement unit into the global market place which has made it possible to measure and monitor loads in temporary locations that were previously going unmeasured.
Some of the key aspects and functionality of the LVS include:
- Proven accuracy of +/- 1% on all truck types and configurations.
- Intelligent software that ensures the system will not accept an inaccurate reading –the LVS system will not allow poor or corrupt scans to be recorded as valid scans.
- A large electronic message board provides clear instructions and feedback that ensures drivers learn how to provide a quality scan every time.
- RFID technology enables the automatic recognition of trucks so that drivers do not need to stop.
- Fast computation of the measurement records – Keep your trucks moving.
- Non-contact technology means very little maintenance and there is no requirement for re-calibrations.
- Convert Volume to Weight: The LVS system will also calculate a load weight using your known material density (specific gravity) values.
- Portable, simple to set up and easy to use.
Tracking truck-loads of valuable material around your quarry or mine site can be a nightmare of paperwork or complicated by expensive dispatch systems. LoadTrak rugged in-cab consoles enable drivers to enter additional load details from their seat. The entry fields are fully customisable to suit your data capture requirements. LoadTrak is said by Loadscan to be the smart way to get rid of manual paper load records (Plods) without over-complicating things.
LoadTrak’s rugged quarry and mining-proof touchscreen consoles with built-in wireless (WiFi) connectivity allow truck drivers to enter load details such as load source, load type, destination and so on at the time of loading. When loaded trucks come within WiFi range of the LVS system the load details are automatically uploaded and recorded along with the load measurements. All load details are available for analysis and reporting with Loadscan’s Overview load management software and can be easily integrated into in-house management software. The measurement result is also displayed immediately on the Loadtrak console for the drivers information. 3D images of every load can be viewed and analysed on the Overview reporting software allowing for loader operator training to ensure maximum load opportunity with the minimum of Haul cycles.
Loadscan recently supplied a Load Volume Scanner (LVS) to Rodney Aggregates Supplies Limited for use in the company’s Whangaripo Quarry, in Whangaripo, New Zealand.
The LVS was used to assist them to accurately measure the removal of 150,000m³ of overburden. Edward’s Plant Hire was contracted to remove the overburden from the quarry and relocate this off site using 40tonne articulated dump trucks. It was past discrepancies between surveyed quantities and actual payload volumes that sparked both parties’ interest and agreement to use the LVS technology.
With the LVS system being a totally automated measurement system using laser range finders and Tagmaster RFID tags for automatic truck identification, the trucks simply drive under the LVS scan head to obtain an accurate load measurement complete with a time and date stamp for each load.
The trucks were measured out with full loads and measured again on return to account for the haul back material that was stuck in the trays.
The haul back quantity was removed from the outbound load total and equated to 9987m³ - 5.7% of the total volume measured. Now the LVS system is Rodney Aggregates Supplied Limited’s primary payload measurement solution and the company and Loadscan recommend it, stating that it is “easy to set up, easy to use, and it’s accurate and honest! The LVS system alleviates any disagreements around payload volumes. The truck drivers are also on board, as it tells them exactly what they need to do, and when or if there are any issues.”
Not only has the LVS system improved efficiency of the whole operation, removing any necessity for interim surveys and allowing the project to flow more smoothly, but it has also been beneficial for management’s reporting requirements. The LVS provides up to the minute load details at the touch of a button and monthly reports of m³ moved can be used to reconcile payments to the contractor. The Load Volume Scanner also assists with complying with health and safety requirements, providing the ability to track truck start times and hours on site, all of which has led to the saving of a lot of valuable time and money.
