Irbinskiy subsidiary of Evrazruda JSC (part of Evraz Group, Russian ore maker) started upgrading its motor-truck scales in order to raise the quality accounting of the ore going to the dry magnetic separation plant.

According to the company’s spokesperson, the scales need to be improved due to an increase in the tonnage of the large dump trucks used for transporting muck from the mines. The old scales could only operate with 42-ton BelAZ trucks that used to make the bulk of the company’s car park two years ago. Today, it mainly uses the 55-ton trucks, which means the scales need upgrading; this will include fitting them with the newest resistive-strain sensors that will determine the mass of the truck with high precision. Sensor records will be stored in a database for further analysis as well as shown on a numeric display for the truck drivers to see.

‘The upgraded scales will provide for the optimal truck loading, which should improve the durability of the tires, cut the combustive-lubricating stuffs and repair expenses,’ said the spokesperson.

The company is currently disassembling the old scales in order to fortify the foundation and widen the loading platform, then fit the sensors with the capacity of 60 tons each and adjustment and calibrating the scales. Everything is expected to have been completed in early September. Evrazruda JSC is hoping to do the same in its Teiskiy subsidiary as well.