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Belt Weighing Standards
The BWS is designed to build a dynamic knowledge base which will be a resource for the global in-motion weighing community. The
aim is to establish best practice benchmarks for in-motion weighing, and to provide a venue for discussion of important issues.
Global trade is becoming an increasingly significant part of the economy of most countries, particularly those with significant mineral
wealth, such as Australia. An understanding of this is reflected in the increasing requirement for Trade Certification of In-motion
Weighers for legal trade by government bodies worldwide. The need for reliable, repeatable accuracy in weighing of bulk materials
has always existed. The BWS is here to facilitate progress and dialogue in this increasingly important area.
Introduction
The Weigher Standards section consists of integrated best practices, principles, and activities that provide comprehensive guidelines
for achieving accuracy, repeatability and reliability for in motion weighing solutions and services. BWS defines the scope of the critical
elements that lead to accurate, trustworthy weighing solutions.
Belt weigher innovation
Belt weigher innovation
At Control Systems we are continuously developing ways to improve our systems

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This information will assist you in determining what is needed for your
organization now, as well as practices that will keep your in-motion
weighing equipment running efficiently and effectively in the future.
The Standards encompass all of the ingredients and processes involved
in the provision of reliable, trustworthy in-motion weighing equipment
including: site analysis, customer liaison, and consultation, review of
options, specification, application design, installation, operation,
maintenance, site audits, and trade certification options.
Goal of BWS
The goal of BWS is to provide guidance to bulk handling companies with
in-motion weighing needs to help them to determine site requirements,
specify, analyse and compare various options, understand the principles
of and thereby ensure correct installation, and operational practice, and
how to keep the equipment operating at peak accuracy for its service
life.
BWSs purpose is to create an environment where customers and in-motion weighing professionals can work together in an
atmosphere of confidence based on common agreement with and competence in assessing the fundamental elements required for
accurate weighing.
As part of this educational process, the BWS section contains interactive real time graphics illustrating common problem areas
related to weighing, such as stockpile error and effectiveness. BWS promotes a logical approach to determining the best possible
weighing accuracy for the particular application, from site analysis, through to ongoing service, maintenance and site auditting.
How to Use BWS
The BWS guidance consists of a series of key elements that are linked to the life cycle of the weighing equipment. These elements
outline what is needed for successful in-motion weighing acccuracy and performance - from initial assessment, through the process of
specifying and purchasing, ongoing maintenance and monitoring, and upgrades, all the way to the retirement of an outdated unit.
Key elements of Belt Weigher Best Practice standards include:
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- Weighing theory
- Accuracy
- Error Random and Systematic
- Calibration Live Load, Static Mass, Electronic (Live Load Simulation), Chains
- Commissioning Idler Alignment
- Location of weigher
- Belt Tension and Angle
- Frame Rigidity
- Maintenance
- Trade certification the different International bodies, and analysis of requirements
Affiliates/Peer Contributions
As part of the creation of a technical community based on agreement on a core body of Belt Weighing Best practice Standards, we
have made a place for experts in the field to contribute. This is a place where such contributions can be recognised, shared, and
responded to.
Expression of interest in submitting contributions are invited.
What is a Trade Certified Belt Weigher?
A trade certified belt weigher is recognised as Legal for Trade Purposes by the government which has jurisdiction where the belt
weigher is used. Before a belt weigher can be Trade Certified it must be first Pattern Approved or Type Approved by the relevant
government authority, this Type or Pattern approval is granted as a result of the testing of a Representative Sample of the weighing
system by a recognised laboratory, usually a government run facility.
In the USA, there is a National Type Evaluation Program (NTEP) run by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST),
equipment is Type tested in a government laboratory according to a document called Publication 14 and issued with an NTEP
Certificate of Conformity (CoC). Then the equipment may be Certified or Stamped on a particular site once it has passed the live load
testing regime dictated by Handbook 44. The US based NTEP approval for Belt Scales requires an accuracy 0.25% of actual
material flow over a flow range from 30% to 100% of full scale design flow.
In Canada, Measurement Canada certifies weighing equipment according to their own W&M legislation. A Belt Scale weighing a
cheap material need only be accurate to 0.5% however, any belt scale (in fact any scale whatever the technology) required to weigh
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an expensive material must be trade certified to 0.1% accuracy. Canada has a laboratory for type approval testing and also requires
each device to be field tested. CST has achieved 0.1% accuracy certification in Canada, for this three tests are required near 100%
flow rate and each must be within 0.07% of actual material weight.
In the rest of the world, belt weighers are regulated by OIML Recommendation 50. The OIML is the French, Organisation Internationale
Metrologie Legale or International Organisaton for Legal Metrology. Most of the countries in the world are members of OIML, even the
USA and Canada. Countries like Australia base their regulations directly on the OIML documents, other economies such as the USA
want eventually to move to OIML R50 but since they have such a democratic system they are unable to just move the whole country to
new regulations, no matter how good an idea it may be.
European belt weigher regulations are strongly based are on OIML R50, however, they also incorporate the requirements of
WELMEC, (the European Cooperation in Legal Metrology) requirements. So belt weighers approved for use in Europe now require
an EU Measuring Instruments Directive (MID) approval based on the OIML R50 and WELMEC requirements. The WELMEC
requirements include stringent EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference) tests with very high field strengths of 10 volts per metre and a wide
frequency range.

What Pattern or Type Approvals does CST equipment hold?
CST belt weighing equipment has more Type or Pattern approvals than most in the market. CST has;
Australian NMI Pattern Approval, No. As a Class 0.5 instrument (0.25%).
United States NTEP Approval as 0.25% equipment CoC No. NTEP CoC Certificate Number: 02135 December 2002
Measurement Canada Approval as a 0.1% and 0.5% belt scales:
Canadian 0.1% Approval No. AM5612 (June 2007)
Canadian 0.5% Approval No. AM5442 Rev.1 (June 2007)
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European MID Approval No. UK/0126/0084
General OIML Certificate No. AU_03