RICE LAKE BCi Weigh Frame Belt Scale Instruction Manual
- June 5, 2024
- RICE LAKE
Table of Contents
RICE LAKE BCi Weigh Frame Belt Scale Instruction Manual
An ISO 9001 registered company © Rice Lake Weighing Systems. All rights
reserved.
Rice Lake Weighing Systems® is a registered trademark of Rice Lake Weighing
Systems.
All other brand or product names within this publication are trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective companies.
All information contained within this publication is, to the best of our knowledge, complete and accurate at the time of publication. Rice Lake Weighing Systems reserves the right to make changes to the technology, features, specifications and design of the equipment without notice.
The most current version of this publication, software, firmware and all other
product updates can be found on our website:
www.ricelake.com
Technical training seminars are available through Rice Lake Weighing Systems. Course descriptions and dates can be viewed at www.ricelake.com/training or obtained by calling
Rice Lake continually offers web-based video training on a growing selection of product-related topics at no cost. Visit www.ricelake.com/webinars
1.0 Introduction
This manual is intended for use by service technicians responsible for installing and servicing the BCi Weigh Frame Belt Scale. This manual can be viewed and downloaded from the Rice Lake Weighing Systems website at www.ricelake.com Warranty information can be found on the website at www.ricelake.com/warranties
1.1 Safety
Safety Signal Definitions:
General Safety
Do not operate or work on this equipment unless this manual has been read and all instructions are understood. Failure to follow the instructions or heed the warnings could result in injury or death. Contact any Rice Lake Weighing Systems dealer for replacement manuals.
WARNING
Failure to heed could result in serious injury or death.
Some procedures described in this manual require work inside the indicator
enclosure. These procedures are to be performed by qualified service personnel
only.
Take all necessary safety precautions when installing the scale carriage
including wearing safety shoes, protective eye wear and using the proper
tools.
Do not allow minors (children) or inexperienced persons to operate this unit.
Do not operate without all shields and guards in place.
Do not jump on the scale.
Do not use for purposes other then weight taking.
Do not place fingers into slots or possible pinch points.
Do not use load bearing components worn beyond 5% of the original dimension.
Do not use this product if any of the components are cracked.
Do not exceed the rated load limit of the unit.
Do not make alterations or modifications to the unit.
Do not remove or obscure warning labels.
Do not use near water.
Keep hands, feet and loose clothing away from moving parts.
1.2 Overview
A belt conveyor scale continuously measures bulk material as it is moved along a conveyor. The system requires two general parameters to operate:
- Weight of the material being moved along the conveyor belt
- Speed at which the material is moved along the conveyor belt
The weight of the material on the belt is determined by weighing a section of
the conveyor belt loaded with material and subtracting the average weight of
the unloaded belt. The speed at which the material is moving is determined by
measuring the speed of an idler or wheel in contact with the conveyor belt.
The weight and speed are combined to give a running total and a rate of flow
for the material. Optimum operation of the scale system requires the
components to be installed correctly, periodically calibrated and properly
maintained.
Typical applications where belt conveyor scales are used:
- Mining
- Quarries
- Bulk material blending
- Truck/barge/rail loading
- Process control applications
In addition, a belt conveyor scale can compute the total mass of the material conveyed over a given period of time and while it is in motion. The BCi is durable and one of the most accurate scales in its class. The integrator easily handles capacities up to 10,000 tons per hour with unsurpassed accuracy. It’s innovative integrator fits a wide variety of applications – from simple inventory reporting to automated load-out.
1.3 Belt Conveyor Scale System Components
The main components of a basic belt conveyor scale are:
- Scale carriage
- Load cells
- Belt travel pickup speed sensor (not shown)
- Electronic integrator (BCi)
2.0 Integrator Hardware Installation
This section describes procedures for assembling the scale carriage, adding
the idlers to the scale carriage and wiring.
Take all necessary safety precautions when setting up the integrator In-motion
belt scale system, including WARNING wearing safety shoes, protective eye wear
and using the proper tools.
2.1 Unpacking and Assembly
Upon receipt of the shipping pallet, visually inspect all components to make
sure that they are included and undamaged. The shipping carton should contain
the scale carriage, the integrator and a parts kit. If any parts were damaged
in shipment, notify Rice Lake Weighing Systems and the shipper immediately.
To ensure that all products received from the manufacturer are in good shape
upon arrival, it is recommended to fully inspect all contents and properly
complete the bill of lading.
2.2 Scale Carriage Installation
The location must be chosen for installation of the scale carriage prior to installation. See the Belt Scale Reference Guide (PN 180546) for information on selecting a location. Use the following steps to assemble the carriage. Tools required for assembly include a 3/4” wrench and a small screwdriver to work with the junction box. Figure 2-1 shows the component parts of the scale carriage to be assembled.
The steps for assembling the scale carriage may vary depending on the site location and size of carriage.
-
Space the two end plate assemblies far enough apart so that the Unistrut center bars slide into the channels on the end plate assembly.
-
Center the Unistrut center bar equally between the end plate assemblies. There should be roughly a 5/8” gap on each side and the drilled mounting holes (for junction box placement), should be facing up.
-
Insert the bolts and washers through the end bracket and the Unistrut bar.
-
Tighten the bolts in Secure the Unistrut center bars to the end plate assembly by tightening the bolts using a 3/4”
2.3 Load Cells
There are four strain gauge load cells located on the corners of the weigh idler. These sensors support the weight of the conveyor belt and the material moving along on the belt. The weight signals from the load cells are combined and processed by the integrator.
2.4 Junction Box Installation
The In-Motion Belt Scale uses the TuffSeal JB4SS (PN 88956) junction box. It is a four-channel signal trim junction box with an expansion board enclosed. The junction box is a stainless steel NEMA Type 4X enclosure that comes with a standard Prevent® breather vent which inhibits the build-up of pressure cause by sudden temperature or environmental changes.
Use the following steps to install the junction box.
- Align the junction box with the mounting holes in the Unistrut center bar.
- Secure to the bar using the included screws.
- Attach the ground lug as shown in Figure 2-5 on page 5.
2.4.1 Wire Junction Box
The four channel TuffSeal JB4SS has been designed to connect and trim up to four load cells per board. However, it is possible to use this junction box with other combinations.
-
Run the load cell cables through the channels on the scale carriage to the junction box.
-
Remove the cover of the junction box to expose the interior.
-
Wire the junction box by running the load cell cable inside of the junction box.
-
Use the expansion port on the main board to connect multiple junction boxes in series to accommodate applications having more than four load cells. Figure 2-8 illustrates the expansion port wiring location.
-
Once all of the cables are attached and the scale carriage is completely assembled, take the Unistrut closure strip and seal the middle bars.
2.4.2 Trimming Procedure
Trimming is a process of equalizing the output from multiple individual load cells. If needed, load cell output can be individually trimmed with potentiometers. Whenever a substantial amount of trim (more than 5% of normal output), seems necessary to equalize output, check for other possible problems. The best trim is always the least amount of trim. When all errors except cell mismatch and cable extensions or reductions have been corrected, continue with the trimming. Use the following steps to properly trim the JB4SS junction box.
-
Determine the number of load cells needed.
-
Make sure jumpers are in place to enable trimming of the cells corresponding to each load cell. See Figure 2-10 for the location of jumpers JP1, JP2, JP3 and JP4.
Jumpers for any unused cells must be removed. -
Set all potentiometers fully clockwise to give maximum signal output from each cell. See Figure 2-10 for location of potentiometers.
Refer to the TuffSeal installation manual (PN 184803) for additional information on the junction box. -
Determine the lowest value and turn the potentiometers counter-clockwise to trim all other values to match the lowest value.
-
Remove all weight from the scale and zero the indicator. Place calibrated test weights over each load cell or section. The amount of test weights to be used will depend on the scale configuration. For specific recommendations, refer to the Handbook 44, published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
-
Record the value displayed on the indicator after the test weight is placed in turn over each load cell, or over each section. Select the load cell or section that has the lowest value as the reference point. This load cell or section will not be trimmed.
-
Place the same test load over each cell or section in turn. Using the corresponding potentiometer, trim each cell or section down to equal the reference point. Check zero after every adjustment to avoid zero shift, as load cell corrections are interactive.
-
Check load cells or sections again and repeat steps 7 and 8 as needed.
2.5 Attaching Idlers
This section gives direction on mounting the idlers to the carriage once the scale carriage is assembled.
Mount the idlers to the scale carriage using the large V-bolts and bolting
them to the scale carriage frame.
If the scale carriage requires the relocation of cross bracing directly under
the scale, any bracing that is removed must be relocated or replaced so as to
not reduce the structural integrity of the conveyor. The minimum clearance
under the scale is 6.5” as measured from the top mounting surface. If the
return conveyor belt is less than 6.5” from the top of the frame, the scale
carriage requires extra shimming or the return idlers require relocation. The
return side of the conveyor belt must not contact the bottom of the scale when
the conveyor is operating.
The idler spacing for the scale has been predetermined; however, the three
idlers before and after the scale should be moved to match the same spacing.
Splices in the conveyor frame work in the scale area are required to be
permanently joined. Additional bracing may be required under the conveyor
frame work to minimize deflection and vibration under the load as any
additional bouncing decreases the scale’s accuracy. The 3rd idler before and
the 3rd idler after the scale should be shimmed 1/4” higher than the adjacent
idlers. These will be the first and last idlers in the scale area. The first
and last scale idlers should be shimmed level across the conveyor. If the
idlers adjacent to the scale area are greater than 1/4” lower than the scale
area, the adjacent idlers should be shimmed to ramp up to the scale area in
1/4” increments.
The idler on the scale should be mounted to the scale weigh pads. The existing
mounting feet should be removed and the new feet welded on at the correct
spacing for the pads. Apply alignment string lines across the scale area
idlers, stretching over the third idler before and the third idler after the
scale carriage. The scale frame should be shimmed to match the weigh idler to
the plane drawn by the alignment strings.
Recheck the level of the scale carriage and weigh idler. The other idlers in the scale area should be shimmed to match the alignment strings. The finished aligned scale area idlers should be equally spaced, level, and in a plane 1/4” higher than the adjacent idlers on the conveyor.
2.6 Scale Carriage Replacement Parts
This section lists replacement parts for the integrator In-Motion Belt Scale System.
3.0 Integrator Permanent Field Record
Keep this record to record maintenance performed on the BCi.
Conveyor Number _
Date ___
Scale Capacity (Tons per Hour) ____
Load Cell mv/v (Average) _
Total Load Cell Build = #4 x #7 ____
Number of Weigh Idlers ____
Number of Load Cells ____
Idler Spacing ___
Load Cell Capacity _
Conveyor Belt Length ____
Pulses per Revolution ____
Number of Test Revolutions __
Zero Counts _
Material Factor ___
© Rice Lake Weighing Systems Specifications subject to change without notice. Rice Lake Weighing Systems is an ISO 9001 registered company.
230 W. Coleman St. · Rice Lake, WI 54868 · USA
U.S. 800-472-6703 · Canada/Mexico 800-321-6703 · International 715-234-9171 · Europe +31 (0)26 472 1319
July 9, 2018 www.ricelake.com PN 180547
References
- Rice Lake Weighing Systems
- Training | Rice Lake Weighing Systems
- Warranties
- Videos and Webinars | Rice Lake Weighing Systems