Axtec enhances weighing technology range
Axle weighing technology provider Axtec reports that it is preparing for an exciting 2022 with several new product developments, coinciding with the completion of the company’s move to a new purpose-built production and office facility in Runcorn.
“We’re gearing up for the next chapter in the history of Axtec,” said the company’s sales director, Alasdair Littlejohn.
“We’re putting the finishing touches to our fantastic new manufacturing facility, which will offer increased production capacity and greatly enhanced R&D capability. We’ve always been at the forefront of vehicle weighing technology, and 2022 will see the start of the next generation of products for the commercial vehicle industry.”
Key new product developments are understood to include a state-of-the-art portable weighpad, a new ‘connected’ option for Axtec’s OnBoard Load Indicator to provide cloud-based accessibility, and a similar LAN connection for the company’s flagship Series 5000 Dynamic Axle Weighbridge.
Axtec’s Series 5000 weighbridge boasts Class 0.2 approval, giving accuracy of +0.1 per cent, and is capable of checking all six axles of a tractor/trailer combination, plus gross vehicle weights, in 40 seconds. Even with its previous Class 0.5 Approval rating, Axtec’s Series 5000 was the most accurate dynamic weighbridge on the market, the company says, thus permitting its use as a Public Weighbridge.
The Series 5000 avoids the effects that stopping and starting have on compensating axles which can lead to inaccurate weighing.
Axtec is contracted by the DVSA (and has been for over 25 years) to supply and maintain its entire UK network of roadside enforcement weighbridges.
Features and enhancements highlighted for the latest Series 5000 version include capacitive touch-screen technology to simplify use and increase longevity, faster processing power to deliver higher accuracy, greater data storage capacity, and an electronic data transfer facility.
Meanwhile, Axtec’s 3rd Generation OnBoard Load Indicator is said to be the most user-friendly system to date. Retaining many innovative features from Axtec’s successful previous OnBoard model, the latest system takes advantage of state-of-the-art technology to improve upon existing features and to add many more, says the company.
A simple colour numeric and graphic interface is retained, although a choice of larger, clearer displays, enhanced graphics and a faster response time is said to greatly improve the user experience.
By using touch-screen technology, vulnerable moving components are removed, says Axtec, meaning less to go wrong and making it easier to use – while improved data-gathering capabilities and easier download options mean getting historical information from the system will now be even faster, more accurate and easier to handle.
Customers benefit from a larger 5” touchscreen as standard, meaning information is clearer, while improving the image from reverse and nearside camera options. The display is also configurable to the exact vehicle on which the Axtec OnBoard is fitted, while the system automatically displays a blank screen when the vehicle starts moving, meaning less distraction for the driver.
All management functions are password protected, while no manual controls are accessible by drivers, adds Axtec, thus offering ultra-reliable operation with no driver training required. The use of a single wire connection for the display now offers greater flexibility of location in the cab, while the much-simplified fitting process means faster installation.
Using less power than its predecessor, and therefore said to be ideal for new generation electric and hybrid vehicles, weights are shown in a familiar traffic light configuration; green for legal weights, amber as maximum limits are approached and flashing red to indicate an overload.
Outputs to tracking devices are provided as standard, while enhanced functionality allows for more detailed information to be obtained by telemetry than just a simple overload alert.
The new Axtec OnBoard has greater and significantly faster processing power, the firm adds, allowing new features to be added as customers demand. The customer’s own zero reset facility is said to have proved particularly useful and is carried over from the previous model, thus keeping service costs to a minimum.
In order to calibrate and check the accuracy of new and existing dynamic axle weighbridges, Axtec has also recently acquired a DAF CF 8×4 rigid test vehicle with beavertail body to complement its existing XF 4×2 tractor unit and trailer. The test vehicles allow Axtec to ensure customer equipment on-site is continually performing to standards.
