It really should go without saying, but if you have the requirement within your business for a weighbridge, then you really need the confidence that the measurements it’s giving you are accurate and reliable. Otherwise, you might be leaving yourself open to prosecution or giving away valuable product and profits without realising it. 

However you might be surprised how many people seem to think that once their weighbridge has been delivered and installed, they don’t need to have it regularly calibrated to ensure it’s still working correctly. 

No matter how good the initial design and construction, almost any piece of machinery is going to require some level of regular maintenance and annual health check. You probably wouldn’t skip your car’s MOT and when it comes to your weighbridge this should be no different.

What is Weighbridge Calibration?

Put simply, calibration is the process of checking the performance of a measuring device against a standard of proven or traceable accuracy. When we calibrate a customer’s weighbridge, we use one of our sets of UKAS traceable weights to apply load in a pre-defined way (UKAS is the National Accreditation Body for the UK).

By comparing the indicated weight readings against our known standards, we can quickly determine if the weighbridge is performing within the strict guidelines laid down by law.

Legal Requirements of Weighbridge Calibration

If you’re using your weighbridge for trade purposes, there is a legal requirement to ensure your weighbridge meets the stated accuracy (within certain tolerances) at all times.  Anyone operating a weighbridge would be strongly advised to have it calibrated every 12 months to ensure compliance.

Trading Standards have the power under the Weights & Measures Act 1985 to shut down weighbridges that do not meet performance criteria and issue fines to operators. There is also a legal requirement to have your weighbridge re-verified if critical components such as load cells or weight instrumentation have been replaced.

It is also worth remembering that if your company vehicle gets pulled over at the roadside to be weighed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and they find it’s overloaded, then you and your driver can be prosecuted. Claiming that your weighbridge showed it wasn’t overloaded is no excuse. The same could also apply if your overloaded vehicle is involved in an accident.

Weightron Calibrations

Here at Weightron, we are certified to carry out self-verification tests across the UK. In these tests, we check and record key criteria for your weighbridge including:

• Zero point (no load)
• Working measuring range (span)
• Linearity and Hysteresis (loading and unloading)
• Eccentric error (corner loading)

These tests are performed in accordance with the UK Weighing Federation’s Calibration Code of Practice for Non-Automatic Weighing Machines which details the procedure for calibrating legal for trade weighbridges and scales. When the calibration has been carried out and any necessary adjustments made, we will issue a UKCA certificate of conformance.

Weightron can calibrate your weighbridge as well as perform other service and support work. Contact us today for more information.