by Henry Zumbrun
Aircraft and truck scales come in all different shapes and sizes and typically serve one purpose, to approximate the weight of an aircraft or truck. Why might that be important? For aircraft, it’s about knowing the center of gravity (CG). The center of gravity will influence stability and performance. Different airplanes have specified limits for longitudinal and lateral limits. If the airplane does not meet these requirements, it will not fly properly. Not operating properly could result in a bad landing, handling problems, exceeding the needed runway length for takeoff, or an all-out crash. Weighing is important not only with the aircraft empty but with cargo and fuel. The airplane can have a good CG on takeoff and the decreased fuel can cause an imbalance to develop into the flight. Knowing the weight is also important as the structural strength of the aircraft has limits on the maximum weight the aircraft can safely carry.
For trucks, it’s a matter of safety and profitability. Safety is going to be the biggest concern for most of us as an overweight truck would have the capability to cause severe structural damage over time or immediate damage to bridges and overpasses. Being overweight, which can lead to increased profitability for the company transporting the products, can also interfere with the driver’s ability to maneuver quickly, control the truck going uphill or downhill, and to stop. It can result in loss of balance, busted or blown out tires due to the pressure of the excess weight, and all of which can lead to severe accidents. The exact limit of how heavy a truck can vary by state laws and the type and number of axles on the truck. Federal law dictates trucks must weigh below 80,000 lbs.
Now that we’ve explained why knowing the weight is essential, we can now look at the calibration side and the four things we can do to improve the calibration of these types of scales. Read the full article (PDF)
