2016. 07. 15..
In late 2014, Colas Északkő started to develop a solution for speeding up service, which entailed the simultaneous application of multiple weighbridges and the introduction of an access control platform. According to the original concept, we would have put together a system consisting of three weighbridges and two tablets, which would have provided loader operators with extra information and would have supported the tare weighing of incoming trucks. The latter function is crucial for preventing fines due to overloading.
The original plan was gradually refined in line with the arising requirements: for instance, we discarded the tablet that would have been installed at the access point, because we figured that the device wouldn’t have been durable enough, and we also expected charging issues. Instead, we gathered quotations from firms manufacturing industrial terminals. Ultimately, we ordered a 22-inch, vandal-proof industrial touchscreen installed into a three-metre-tall stainless steel casing, including the required industrial computer and heating/cooling module.
The employees of the Tállya plant were of great help when we set up the terminal, for which we would like to tank plant manager József Erdei. They knew no impossible, and performed each task with flawless professionalism. The start-up of the terminal was followed by the installation of the access interface and some fine-tuning. The device is also capable of automatic number plate recognition, and a “door phone” function aids remote help at the access terminal.
The initial testing phase has already been wrapped up, and the procedure seems to be working well: When a truck arrives at the gate, it pulls up to the weighbridge equipped with a terminal and a barrier. The driver enters a new request, the system reads the number plate, and the weighbridge performs the tare weighing of the vehicle. The system prompts the driver to enter additional data (name, partner, product), and the new request is subsequently displayed on the tablets installed in the front loaders.
Basically, the loader-mounted screens show a list of waiting trucks in the order of arrival, including registration numbers and the products the given trucks are waiting for. Once the loading of a truck is finished, the loader operator selects the corresponding registration number from the list, and reports the completion of loading, thus removing the truck from the waiting list.
At the moment, a few minor adjustments are being carried out, and some additional trials are pending before the system could go live. We expect the project to be highly profitable in every respect.