Mobile scales on silo tankers increases productivity by 10%

The Westmünsterland Raiffeisen Cooperative (Raiffeisen-Genossenschaft Westmünsterland - RWM) recently ran a pilot project by fitting a silo tanker in one of its feed mills with a mobile weighing system provided by Pfreundt GmbH, which transmits the weight information directly to the control room and transfers this to the central enterprise resource planning system. This mobile weighing system avoids the vehicle having to use a stationary weighing system and also ensures the transparent flow of information. First estimates show that the vehicle operates up to 10% more efficiently. This mobile weighing technology enables the RWM to save approximately EUR 15,000 annually. When farmers in Westmünsterland, on Germany’s border with the Netherlands, need feed for their cattle, all they need to do is pick up the telephone and call the RWM for a prompt delivery – usually on the same day. Ordered today – delivered today This is the kind of service that the Westmünsterland Raiffeisen Cooperative (RWM) provides. Says Berthold Brake, the company’s Managing Director: “Our rapid order processing is one of our major strengths.” The feed mill in Borken-Burlo alone produces approximately 65,000 tonnes of feed per year, while a second, similarly-sized plant in Hamminkeln-Dingden supplies the eastern part of the sales area, where livestock business predominates. As a result, the cooperative generates approximately 70% of its turnover of €55 million from animal feed. Farmers can choose from a standard feed and a feed which has been specially prepared, in which the content of basic ingredients, vitamins and minerals are carefully tailored to their animals. Where these are not already available in stock, these mixes are produced on a customer-specific basis and made available in receiving hoppers. Transport to the farmer by silo tanker The feed is transported to the farmers using a fleet of six silo tankers, each of which are fitted with up to eight feed chambers. Each tanker operates two shifts from 6am till 10pm, and on average delivers a daily feed load of 120 tonnes of feed. The RWM is constantly seeking to optimise and automate its operational processes. The shipping process still has area for improvement. Normally, the tanker must proceed to the stationary weighing scale after each loading process, where its weight is recorded and included in the shipping documents. Objective: Eliminating the trip to the weighing scale With the aim of saving this trip, a trial was first planned, using a silo tanker operating from the Burlo plant with load sensors produced by Pfreundt GmbH. Pfreundt developed its ABW-4 weighing structure precisely for such applications. The device consists of robust and compact weighing sensors, which are maintenance-free and easy to install. The system is calibrated for weight classes 3 and 4, the weight data is processed using WK 50 electronic weighing from Pfreundt or – as in this case – another system over a W-LAN connection. Mobile weight data transferred over W-LAN to the control room RWM decided upon a solution by which the weight data is transferred over the W-LAN directly to the control room and the central ERP system. The driver can see the weight displayed on a PC terminal and then print out the delivery note with the exact weight information. The weighing electronics are installed in the rear of the vehicle where the driver unloads the silos, and thus always has an idea of the current loading. Advantage: One more trip per day This system, which in future will be further expanded by means of a W-LAN controlled indicator light during the filling, offers clear advantages in terms of business processes. The driver no longer needs to proceed to the stationary weighing scale after each loading process, and can fill up to eight silos in a single operation. This saves time in a way which can be clearly calculated. Says Berthold Brake: “In this way, the tanker can complete one further delivery route per day. With an average of 10 routes per day, this is equivalent to a 10% increase in productivity.” As RWM incur annual tanker costs (including the driver) of €150,000, this results in a saving of approximately €15,000 per tanker per year. This compares to the reasonable investment required in the onboard weighing system and the installation of the W-LAN. Weight displayed in real time But the system offers further advantages. In approx. 5% of cases, the farmer will want to store single feed types in several different silos. The driver has so far had to refill these “by feel”. Now, however, he can see the weight of the tanker silo in real time as he unloads, and he can control the quantities unloaded exactly in accordance with the wishes of the customer. The Westmünsterland Raiffeisen Cooperative will carefully examine the use of mobile weighing technology in silo tankers and decide whether to fit the equipment to further silo tankers once the trial period is over. The infrastructural conditions for this are already in place: The feed plant in Dingden also uses filling over the W-LAN, which provides a direct connection to the ERP system. It would be possible to fit out the vehicles with mobile weighing technology very rapidly.

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