Case Study: Replacing an Aging Mechanical Scale with a 100-Ton Electronic Truck Scale in Zhangzhou
An industrial park in Zhangzhou contacted us earlier this year about a mechanical truck scale that had been in service for over a decade. The needle-dial indicator had started drifting, repair technicians were making frequent visits just to keep it running, and management had been considering a switch to an electronic scale for a while. A planned park expansion this year finally pushed the project forward.
Project Overview
· Location: Industrial park, Zhangzhou, Fujian, China
· Scale specifications: 3×18 meters, 100-ton capacity
· Contractor: Fangda Weighing (Fujian Fangda), truck scale manufacturer
· Scope: old scale removal, foundation rework, installation, calibration, ongoing maintenance
Removing the old scale and reworking the foundation
The existing pit was shallower than what current electronic scales require, so instead of building on top of the old foundation, we re-excavated and deepened it properly. During demolition, we also found a drainage pipe under the old scale that had been leaking for years — likely undetected because it sat below grade. We repaired it as part of the same job. Skipping that step would have meant the new foundation started absorbing moisture again within a year or two, regardless of how good the scale itself was.
Why 3×18 meters at 100 tons
Traffic through the park is mostly mid-size trucks and box vans, with the occasional large flatbed. Looking at where the park's vehicle mix was likely headed over the next two to three years, 18 meters and 100 tons covers both current traffic and near-term growth without being oversized for what the site actually needs.
Installation and calibration
The scale deck uses a segmented structure, which makes future section-level repairs possible without having to remove and ship the whole unit back to a shop. Load cells and the indicator were selected for a wet, humid climate, and we added extra sealing around the wiring connections. After installation, we ran staged calibration with certified test weights, then verified against several of the park's regular trucks — readings stayed consistent within national tolerance standards across multiple runs.
A commissioning issue worth mentioning
Three days after installation, the park reported minor fluctuations in the readings during periods of large day-to-night temperature swings. On-site diagnosis traced it to a sealing gasket in the junction box that contracted slightly in cooler temperatures, letting in small amounts of moisture. Swapping in a cold-rated gasket resolved it, and there's been no recurrence. It's a small thing, but left alone it's the kind of issue that shortens load cell life over time — which is why same-day fixes matter more than they might seem to.
Results after going live
The new scale has been running for a little over three months. The park reports the recurring repair visits are gone, readings are noticeably more stable and accurate than the old mechanical unit, and the finance team no longer needs to manually re-verify weights during material settlement — something that used to happen regularly with the old system.
