Keep your Weighbridge Protected from Snow & Ice

The winter can wreak havoc on outdoor equipment. Without the right protocols and protective measures in place, the cold temperatures, snow and ice can quickly compromise the performance of machinery.

Weighbridges are designed to be robust, durable and hard-wearing, and serve as an investment with a long lifespan. But, even these hardy devices require a bit of extra protection over the winter.

Below, our team of weighbridge experts have shared their complete guide to weighbridge winter maintenance, including their top tips for protecting your weighbridge from snow and ice.

Can you use grit or salt on a weighbridge?

We do not recommend using grit or salt on your weighbridge, even when the platform is covered with snow or ice.

This is because the grit or salt could unintentionally get into the load cells and equipment, which would damage the mechanisms and electronics.

Instead, a good alternative would be to cover the weighbridge overnight or during heavy snow (to prevent the snow and ice from settling there in the first place). We’ll cover this in more detail below.

Top tips for protecting your weighbridge during the winter

• Keep your weighbridge clean – If extra snow or ice is allowed to settle on your weighbridge, it can affect the weighbridge readings, as they add additional weight to the device. So, during the winter, we recommend increasing the frequency of your weighbridge cleaning.
• Regularly test your weighbridge – As snow and ice can affect weighbridge accuracy, regularly test your weighbridge to ensure that it is providing accurate readings. We also recommend recalibrating your weighbridge if it is exposed to severe weather.
• Cover your weighbridge – During periods of heavy snow, or on nights where temperatures are predicted to drop, cover your weighbridge with a waterproof cover. This will protect the key areas of your weighbridge, and is a great, easy way to protect it from the worst of the weather damage.
• Add to your team’s training – Ensure your team are trained on winter best practices, including the warning signs for weather-related damage, and how to remove snow from weighbridge safely.
• Regularly maintain your weighbridge – By increasing the frequency of your maintenance checks, you can ensure that any issues are identified, before they are allowed to develop into a more costly issue.
• Implement a servicing schedule – During the winter in particular, we would recommend arranging a regular servicing contract. At Weightron, our comprehensive servicing contracts are delivered by skilled weighbridge specialists.

We operate a nationwide network of field-based engineers, and offer flexible services (including three Service Level Agreement options) to ensure the best fit for your individual operational and budgetary requirements.

At Weightron, we are industrial weighing specialists, and one of Europe’s leading weighbridge manufacturers and suppliers. We offer a wide range of bespoke weighbridge systems and software, to support businesses across the UK.

To find out more about weighbridge winter protection, or to find out how we can support your business operations, don’t hesitate to get in touch.