On a machine, the scale weighs automatically as the bucket lifts. The operator sets a target mass and watches the running total, so the last bucket becomes a decision rather than a guess.
performing the lifting operation.
mass to be associated automatically with the wagon number and fed into PLC and SCADA systems. “That is what makes mine-to-port reconciliation possible,” says Bundhoo. “You know which wagon carried what, not simply what the train weighed.” He is cautious about the growing emphasis on artificial intelligence, however. “Clean, calibrated, trusted data is still where the value sits.” Retrofitting for the next cycle Market developments are also being shaped by tighter enforcement, procurement requirements and changes in rail access. With fleets being retained for longer, Bundhoo says demand is increasingly shifting towards retrofitting weighing technology to machines already operating in the yard. For operators, the direction is clear: weighing is moving from a final compliance check towards an active part of the loading and production process, turning payload into usable operational data at the point where decisions are made. . b
Connected and integrated Modern weighing systems are
“It turns payload from an impression into a number you can manage,” says Bundhoo. Consistent underloading can then reveal operational rather than mechanical issues. “A loader running consistently eight per cent under is rarely a machine fault. It is a bucket, a technique, or a habit, and all three are fixable once you can see them.” On rail, weighing both loaded and empty wagons can identify units that are not discharging correctly at the port. Mobile plant can also use overload warnings and protection systems to protect the machine
increasingly connected devices rather than standalone displays. Cloud and REST API integration can transfer weighing information into an ERP system, while over-the-air updates can reduce the need for technicians to travel to remote sites. On rail, identification technology is adding another layer of traceability. The TSR4000 indicator can read RFID tags fitted to Transnet wagons, allowing the
On rail, weighing both loaded and empty wagons can identify units that are not discharging correctly at the port.
CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS OCTOBER 2026 11
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