Technicians, Troy, Jeremy and Jeff took on a multiple day job at the Cemex Quarry in Pleasanton which involved installing four new Belt-Way belt scales, relocating an existing belt scale, installing a remote display and communication devices. Cemex is updating their plant with the intention of improving efficiency and productivity. Their new belt scales will enable them to know exactly how much material is being processed and what their current inventory is on all finished products. The belt scales also can track loss and waste with their operation. The difficult job was challenged by a dark and damp work site since the job needed to be done after the plant closed for the day in attempt to not disrupt production at the quarry.
A belt scale, also known as a belt weigher, weighs material traveling over a conveyor belt which can adequately contain the material being weighed. The belt scale replaces a short section of the support mechanism of the conveyor which might be one or more sets of idler rollers, or a short section of channel or plate. This weighed support is mounted on one or more load cells. The mass measured by the load cells is integrated with the belt speed to compute the mass of material moving on the conveyor.
Cemex of Pleasanton produces crushed aggregate, a product needed in concrete ready-mixes that enables the concrete to harden into a product capable of withstanding immense weight and extreme forces of nature. Crushed aggregate makes up approximately 60 to 75 percent of the volume in concrete ready-mixes. The Cemex Company, with numerous US locations, produces a variety of aggregate types, including sand, gravel and crushed rock, in an equally wide range of sizes and colors to meet various construction project needs.