Weighing system improves turnaround at North London waste transfer system

A weighbridge installed by industrial weighing specialist Precia-Molen at Onyx’s

new North London site has increased automation and improved vehicle turnaround.

Precia-Molen was able to provide a complete solution to increase flexibility

of operations and maximise traffic flows on site.

John Gosling, Landfill Operations Manager at Onyx, said: “We were essentially

looking for a loading system that would cope with increasing vehicle movements

and minimise traffic on site. We therefore wanted a cost-effective, automated

system which outward-bound drivers could operate themselves. Precia-Molen’s

package was the most advanced automated system on the market.”

The waste transfer site at Wembley operates 24 hours a day serving all areas

within a 15-mile radius, including Wembley, Brent and Westminster. It transfers

some 65,000 tonnes of domestic and trade waste per year and has approximately

120 incoming and outgoing vehicles which unload and transfer waste each day.

Links to accounting

The two Precia-Molen in-ground VC200CS weighbridges have been installed to control

the weighing of the site’s incoming vehicles. These are linked to Onyx’s existing

P&L accounts software which enables the company to print transfer notes

and produce appropriate weighing documentation for legislative requirements.

Onyx not only needed a weighbridge system for incoming vehicles, it also required

a cost-effective loading system for the vehicles which transfer waste to its

landfill sites.

Precia-Molen’s automated, driver-operated weighing system was selected, comprising

a surface-mounted VS300CS weighbridge controlled by two TCI (Traffic Control

Integrator) driver consoles.

The loading process is managed using badge card identification and a two-door

entry and exit system. The driver presents his badge at the vehicle control

box to determine the maximum weight capacity of the vehicle. Once the facility

becomes vacant, the entry door opens and the vehicle is positioned on the weighbridge

for the driver to start the loading operation.

A large display panel helps the loading shovel operator to monitor the weight

during the loading process and indicates when the maximum load is reached. Once

the loading process is stopped, a weight ticket is printed and the exit doors

open for the driver to leave the site, Les White, UK Sales Manager at Precia-Molen,

said: “Our driver-operated weighbridge is ideal for the waste management

industry as it ensures rapid turnaround.”

Weighing in at recycling

In another application Chiltern District Council has commissioned a driver-operated

weighbridge system designed and installed by Precia-Molen at its new paper sorting

facility at its depot in Amersham, Buckinghamshire.

The recycling depot at London Road East provides a dedicated facility to meet

the increasing demand for the recycling of domestic waste such as paper, glass,

cans and plastics. Collection and sorting operations are carried out by the

council’s refuse collection and cleansing services contractor, Onyx UK Ltd.

Recyclable mixed paper and glass bottles are collected by Onyx vehicles from

all households in the district and from various local collection centres. These

are then delivered to the recycling depot for sorting and delivery to processors.

Chiltern DC decided that a weighbridge system was essential for the operation

of the increased and improved facilities at the depot in order to perform the

key function of weighing and recording the exact amount and type of waste delivered

and collected by vehicles using the site.

In addition, it enables the council to maintain accurate control of stock levels

within the storage bays as well as providing the vital documentary evidence

that is required for the council to claim recycling credits for the government

authority.

The complete Precia-Molen driver-operated turnkey weighing package comprises

a surface-mounted VS 300CS weighbridge controlled by a TCI driver console linked

to an M7DSD terminal and weight ticket in the site operations office.