English - Rice Lake Weighing Systems

A magazine and REFERENCE TOOL FOR THE WEIGHING INDUSTRY / Summer 2011 • issue 1 • vol. 8

This issue
Editorial Staff
Carol Ailes, Technical Writer
Mobile technology is sweeping the world.
Handheld devices like smartphones are playing a wider,
and very soon indispensable, role in everyday life.
Rice Lake is ahead of the curve. Now our catalogs, technical manuals, literature,
and part numbers are available on phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops.
We’re looking for the next innovation to make Rice Lake information even handier.
For example, see the cube at the right? It’s called a
Quick Response, or QR code—a unique matrix barcode
readable by QR barcode readers and camera phones.
To try it, scan the QR with your smartphone—you’ll
go straight to m.ricelake.com—the mobile version of
our website.
There, you can even access this Rice Lake magazine. It is
packed cover-to-cover with interesting scale applications
in weighing and process control. You’ll find information
SCAN IT
about wireless technology including the differences
between Bluetooth®, ZigBee® and Wi-Fi. We also visit Rice Lake equipment applications
at a commercial bakery, a manufacturer of car racks for sports equipment, a busy stone
quarry, and a facility that performs force testing on airplane wings.
Whether online or printed we hope you enjoy this issue. Then, feel free to take a moment
to use any of today’s innovative forms of technology to tell us what you think. Call,
email, or post a note on our Facebook page at
facebook.com/ricelakeweighingsystems.
We enjoy hearing from you.
Melanie Al Faraj, Technical Writer
Tamala Anderson, Designer
Cheryl Aune, Literature Manager
Bob Chatten, Translator
Matt Davis, Marketing Specialist
Jessica de la Cruz, Writer
Melissa Hjelle, Marketing Specialist
Katy Madden, Senior Editor
Kelly Musil, Catalog Manager
Caleb Olson, Technical Writer, Reporter
Pat Ranfranz, Marketing Director
Hannah Rechsteiner, Designer
Adam Sharpe, Web Master
Tina Slayton, Marketing Specialist
Kevin Theese, Marketing Support
Stacy White, Marketing Specialist
Kristina Zengaffinen, Senior Designer
Pat Ranfranz
Director of Marketing
Pat is a private pilot . He has spent years
searching the Pacific for missing WWII
American air crews—one including his uncle.
2 RICE LAKE MAGAZINE | www.ricelake.com

this issue
RICE LAKE MAGAZINE • Summer 2011 • Issue 1 • Vol. 8
Inside
page 4 What’s New 920i ® FlexWeigh Systems, 720i Advanced Truck Mode, Lift truck test
weight, RailBoss rail scale, and RS-232 to USB Smart Cable. page 6 Raising the Dough
How a single inventor fabricated a batching system for bakeries and burglars burgled the prototype.
page 9 Give Your Balance a Brain Using the 920i as a serial scale control adds
intelligence to precision weighing. page 10 Search for the Missing Part
6
Thule makes sure all the parts are in the box of auto racks for sporting equipment.
page 13 Smoothing the Road Chrysler uses four pit-style RoughDecks ®
to checkweigh automobile center of gravity. page 14 Wing Walking the 920i
Stress-testing airplane wings with analog load cells disguised as digital load cells.
page 18 Time Flies at Tilcon Automated Ticketing Systems cut the chit-chat and
increase rock quarry throughput. page 22 Blowin’ in the Wind A comparison of
Bluetooth ® , ZigBee ® and Wi-Fi wireless technology.
10
RICE LAKE MAGAZINE
Online
Going green? Access the Rice Lake magazine online.
You will enjoy the same great stories plus links to more
information. Also, with electronic access, you can easily
share articles with employees and customers.
To Subscribe
Go to www.ricelake.com/ricelakemagazine
and complete the online form. It’s that easy.
If you have any questions, please email us at
rlmagazine@ricelake.com.
Find us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/
ricelakeweighingsystems
14
www.ricelake.com | RICE LAKE MAGAZINE 3

WHAT’S NEW
From Off-the-shelf
to ready-to-weigh
920i ® FlexWeigh Systems
Process Control
Pre-engineered and programmed, 920i
FlexWeigh Systems are Rice Lake’s turnkey
solution to manufacturers’ most commonly
used weighing processes. No need
for lengthy quoting and design. Each 920i
FlexWeigh Systems model is a standard
design, factory tested and programmed for
your specific task—yet customizable to allow
you to do it your way. For more information
visit ricelake.com/920iflexweigh. ▪
The 720i you need for truck
scale enterprises
720i Programmable Indicator with
Advanced Truck Mode (ATM)
Advanced Truck Mode offers more data storage
and reporting capabilities. Ramped-up memory
capacity stores up to 99 unique customers,
material, or source files and 1400+ transaction
files. With ATM, the 720i programmable indicator
can provide a wide range of useful reports—by shift, customer, material and a summary
of the day or entire data range. See a demonstration at ricelake.com/webinars.
▪
Check lift truck
scale accuracy without
dismounting the
lift truck
Lift Truck Test Weight
Operators stay safely in the lift truck
cab. No hooks, chains or spreader bars
to adjust, and accuracy verification is
fast and easy. Drive in, lift, set down,
and back to work.
Designed for pancake cargo scales
and fork truck scales. Mild steel
painted weight. ASTM Class 6 tolerance.
1000- and 2000-lb weight. For
more information visit ricelake.com/
ltweight. ▪
4 RICE LAKE MAGAZINE | www.ricelake.com

WHAT’S NEW
plug in this cable
and connect serial devices
to your PC or Mac
RS-232 to USB Smart Cable
Scales, balances, RFID or barcode readers
can be connected, allowing the operator
to instantly see output on screen.
No software or driver installation required.
The Smart Cable draws power from the
USB port, requiring no external power
supply. Windows® 7 no longer has a free
HyperTerminal. With the Smart Cable, you
can test RS-232 and be sure data
is outputting. For more information visit
ricelake.com/smartcable. ▪
Wish you could weigh railcars
before they leave your yard?
RailBoss Rail Scale fits in your yard and your budget
Many scrap yards, agricultural operations and plants that could never afford the
installation downtime and cost of a conventional rail scale can afford to install
RailBoss. It usually takes less than eight hours to install and is one-third the cost
of conventional rail scales.
The system is a series of 5'10" rail sections fitted with strain gauges. Each rail
section is a weighbridge for a single wheel. The system provides total car weight
plus individual truck weight. (Not Legal-for-Trade) For more information visit
ricelake.com/railboss. ▪
Unplug
Are you hardwired to RS-232?
“The scale industry is hardwired to RS-232,” Ann
Crowley, Rice Lake product manager, holds up
one of many cables snaking off her desk. They
often overlook using Ethernet® to send data from
the production line to their office.
“We recently had a request from a MotoWeigh®
customer. They wanted a printer to carry around
occasionally to print data from the production
line.” Ann suggested they use a printer with
Ethernet capabilities. “They can print out their
reports to the printer in the office as needed and
they don’t have to carry around a printer.”
The customer needed a small footprint and wide
printout. The TSP800 Star printer with Ethernet
option filled the bill. ▪
www.ricelake.com | RICE LAKE MAGAZINE 5

on location
John Imparato, the proud and colorful owner of Giannella
Modern Baking Company in Paterson, New Jersey, has one of those
“bigger-than-life” personalities that makes meeting him an unforgettable experience.
His bakery is famous for authentic Old World breads baked from recipes handed
down through his family—recipes John wants kept secret.
Marcelo Tise, engineer, inventor, and owner of Advanced Automation, Riverdale, N.J., had experience working with bakery equipment and
knew what needed improving at Giannella. The result is a minor-ingredient batching system geared toward the baking industry and named
6 RICE LAKE MAGAZINE | www.ricelake.com

on location
the Batch Process Analysis (BPA) system,
all designed, fabricated and installed
by Advanced Automation in Riverdale.
With BPA’s modular design, Marcelo and
his team can design and build systems with
as many ingredient hoppers as needed, and
write all the software needed as well.
The BPA also allows bakeries to tweak
recipes for maximum cost savings. For
instance, if a recipe calls for five pounds of
sugar, a bakery could leave out one ounce
of sugar from each batch. The end product
will be consistent from batch to batch,
and the BPA allows a bakery’s recipes to
remain secret under password protection.
The BPA has a very small footprint,
taking no more room than the work
benches used today. The system also
allows bakeries to track all minor ingredients
without having to put pen to
paper. Giannella uses eight IQ plus® 355
weight indicators and one 820i® weight
indicator. The IQ plus 355 indicators
have analog outputs that the PC reads.
It is used to monitor the weight in any
one of eight feed hoppers that are filled
with micro ingredients for commercial
baking. The PC stores the many familysecret
formulas. The operator can select
the formula he or she wants. The 820i
indexes a moving bench scale under the
feed hoppers. As the hoppers get low
on product, a signal is sent to the batch
master who manually re-loads. Software
automatically tracks and records daily
production runs, allowing bakeries to
adhere to strict standards demanded by
quality regulation associations.
Through the BPA’s touchscreen system,
workers can select the recipe and the total
batch count and hit “run.” The BPA will
measure the ingredients into a tray, with
accuracy down to the ounce, eliminating
waste of expensive minor ingredients.
It took Marcelo about a year and a half
to develop the BPA, from conception
to programming to manufacturing. The
machine and software system conforms
to, and in some instances surpasses, all
mandatory ingredient traceability and
handling standards.
Continued on page 8
“I can’t control the prices of my ingredients, but I can control how much I use.
BPA was the answer. Since installing BPA we increased our yield, tracked our use,
and traced raw products via lot numbers down to the batch number.
No more writing down lot numbers or errors in my batch. Our operators just
select the recipe, select the mixer to use, and start the batch.”
John Imparato, president of Giannella Modern Baking Company, Paterson, N.J.
John demonstrates the old way—when bakers measured
ingredients by eye and instinct, with a pinch of
this and a scoop of that. He scoops and pinches ever
more expensive ingredients like sugar and flour out
of a barrel before weighing them on a baker’s scale.
This inevitably results in waste and spillage.
With BPA’s modular design, Marcelo and his team can design and build systems with as many
ingredient hoppers as needed. The eight-silo BPA, 10 feet tall and 8 feet wide, stands in the back corner
of Giannella’s, turning out perfect batches every time.
www.ricelake.com | RICE LAKE MAGAZINE 7

on location
Angela recalls,
“We were floating
on air— until we went
outside to the parking
lot; the trailer with the
prototype inside
was gone!”
Center: Marcelo Tise, and left: Angela Falzarano
Raising the Dough continued from page 7
What trailer?
the Advanced Automation team showed
their first BPA prototype at the International
Baking Industry Exposition in Las
Vegas last September. Companies of all
sizes showed great interest in Marcelo’s
innovative solution.
Angela Falzarano, director of New
Business Development, said, “After the
show, we were floating on air—until
we went outside to the parking lot. The
trailer with the prototype inside was
gone!” Angela recalls a comment Marcelo
made at the time, ‘This is not going to
bring us down!’ ”
Indeed, it did not. Marcelo’s team rebuilt
the BPA and made it even better.
Today, the eight-silo BPA,
10 feet tall and 8 feet wide,
stands in the back corner
of Giannella’s, turning out
perfect batches every time.
8 RICE LAKE MAGAZINE | www.ricelake.com
During initial installation and setup,
Marcelo ran into some glitches with one
of the scales and called Joe Geisser, director
of Rice Lake’s Northeastern region.
Joe told Marcelo not to worry. He would
be there the next day, and he would stay
there until the system was up and running
perfectly.
Angela said, “It was this level of commitment
that solidified the reason for
Marcelo to depend on Rice Lake for all
his needs when it comes to all scales and
accessories.” Angela added, “Whether it
is a Saturday at 2 p.m. or a regular work
day, Joe Geisser and the Rice Lake team
have been there to support us with ALL
of our needs. We appreciate that. We believe
in that same level of commitment.”
Angela confides, “We love Joe...we love
Rice Lake.”
What became of the missing trailer?
It was found ditched along the roadside.
Security video caught the thieves cutting
the lock and hitching up the trailer.
It turns out that the theft wasn’t to steal
Marcelo’s invention. There was also a
Harley-Davidson show going on, and
the perps thought there were a couple
of nice “hogs” in the trailer. The thieves
went to prison for grand theft. The
prototype was returned to Marcelo—
disassembled. Had the thieves actually
stolen a bro’s bike, they might have been
disassembled and ditched themselves. ▪
Just-in-time technology
The introduction of the BPA to the
market falls directly in line time-wise
with President Barack Obama’s signing
of the Food Safety Modernization Act
(FSMA) into law on January 4. The bill
brings the first major updates to U.S.
food safety legislation in more than 70
years. It requires food processors and
manufacturers to be able to verify that
any imported ingredients or products
are produced in compliance with U.S.
laws and regulations. The food safety
bill also calls for increasing government
inspections at food processing facilities
and, for the first time, gives the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) the
power to recall unsafe foods.
The Food Safety Modernization
Act requires the FDA to establish a
product tracing system, which, in turn,
could force food companies to better
track the supply-chain movement of
each ingredient used in every batch.
Bakers in New Jersey, for example,
will need to document which sack of
salt they used to make the last round
of semolina bread, and more importantly,
which stores and restaurants
received those loaves. ▪

Tech talk
Give your
balance a brain
Add 920i® intelligence
to precision weighing
By Ann Crowley, Rice Lake product manager
Balances typically have some built-in functions
for weighing, counting or percentage calculations,
but do not have configurable controls or
outputs to each application. Rice Lake can create
custom software linking the control power
of the 920i indicator/controller to any precision
balance application. Using the 920i as a serial scale
controller (without an A/D scale) gives precision weighing
the same flexibility and programmability demanded in
industrial weighing.
Example 1: This custom program was designed for a pharmaceutical company.
The custom 920i program allows the user to directly interface a scanner to the 920i.
The operator can either scan or input data through the 920i keypad. The scanner has
the ability to scan code 39 or 128. The 920i interfaces to the Datamax® M-4206 label
printer and produces a label bearing a Datamatrix barcode. These labels are manually
applied to boxes. This system can also be connected to two serial scales.
Feature Descriptions
Storage for 5000 Products.
Data prompted for entry:
• Raw material grade
• STD weight number
• Lot number
• Expiration date
Example 2: This solution was created for an application where micro ingredients
as little as one milligram are precision-weighed before adding to batches weighing
1,000 lbs or more.
The recipe consists of several ingredients (up to 10) and each ingredient may have
multiple lots (maximum lots per ingredient is three).
If the target for the the ingredient is 550 grams:
1. The operator places an empty pan on the balance and zeroes the scale.
2. The operator adds product to the pan.
3. The 920i prompts “Enter/Scan Lot.” The operator scans the 39 barcode with the lot
number or keys it on the 920i front panel. If it is a valid lot for that ingredient in
the recipe database, it will continue,
otherwise it will jump to the “Supervisor
Needed” section.
4. The gross weight from the scale is
stored and subtracted from the target.
Example 3: The end user needs to measure
the density of pork skin. Pieces are
measured and cut a determined length
and width. The operator is prompted to
enter this length and width in millimeters.
The operator then pushes the print button
on the balance and the 920i computes
the value and displays in grams per
cubic centimeter.
The 920i is programmed for a serial scale
input using the TS-6200 balance. The TS-
6200 balance was chosen for the platform
size and IP65 rating for washdown.
Just three examples from many options,
adding precision to the intelligence
used in industrial weighing and giving
your balance a brain—it’s the smart
thing to do! ▪
www.ricelake.com | RICE LAKE MAGAZINE 9

on location
Imagine being responsible for quality control—
with newly hired packers packing thousands of car rack kits
containing dozens of parts during your busiest season.
Imagine being a customer service rep taking “missing part”
calls from people assembling their Thule car rack
for a weekend trip leaving tomorrow.

on location
John Bova, Thule quality coordinator,
acknowledges, “Last year was a phenomenal
year for us. We were so busy;
we set all kinds of records. The size of
our workforce tripled. The ratio of new
people to experienced people was four
to one. That brought in a whole new
array of challenges for training and
quality control.
“We received complaints from customers
about missing parts and hardware. At
that time we were doing what we called
‘dock audits.’ We would go out to our
shipping area a couple of times a day,
open random boxes, see what was inside
to make sure everything was there. If
something was missing, packers would
have to take apart the whole skid of
boxes. It meant shutting down the line so
they could go through every box, count
the parts, re-pack and re-tape. If it was a
big issue, we might ask them to go to the
warehouse and check everything they
had packed that day. We pack thousands
of boxes a week. So the likelihood of
us finding something just by random
checking was slim.”
Thule was determined to give their
customers a product that presented the
best buying experience. The Thule quality
control group determined the cost of
labor alone in one year to investigate
customer complaints, find the missing
part, write the order, and send to shipping
was about $30,000. Thule created
Continued on page 12

on location
Who is Thule?
The next time you see a sleek car rack for sports gear,
look for the distinctive THULE logo, pronounced
“Too-lee.” In 1942, Thule was founded in Sweden by
the Thulin family, when Erik Thulin put his name on
a Pike Trap he designed and sold in Scandinavia. By
the 1960s, the company concentrated on car-related
products, and the first roof rack was born. New
product categories were added in the 70s, and new
markets all over the world were opened.
Thule North America is headquartered in Seymour, CT.–
a perfect setting. Thule employees share a common bond
of passion for their chosen sport. Seymour is surrounded by
hilly roads along the Naugatuck River Watershed. The parking
lot is filled with small, smart cars bristling with racks and carriers.
Search for the Missing Part continued from page 11
some unique package-identifying
procedures to reduce costs but were
still not satisfied.
John Bova’s team decided to look into a
checkweighing system that would also
record product ID for traceability. John
Russo, Jr., integration specialist with
Progressive Scale & Software Solutions,
Bethel, CT., designed the first system
using four scales running off the 920i®.
John Bova says, “We tried that for about
six or eight months to work the bugs
out. During the six months prior to installing
the system, we found 120 boxes
with missing parts. Once the system was
installed, the drop in missing part complaints
was immediate. After we tested
it, my plan was to spread the application
through the entire plant, and I had a
year to put together the plan, get capital
funding, and marshal equipment.”
Thule corporate folks interviewed the
distributors and end users at trade shows.
When asked about product concerns,
the most outstanding complaint involved
missing parts in packages. Several distributors
objected to the cost for them
to replace the part and meet customer
deadlines. The package checkweighing
“Fifteen or more people will go out for
a noon ride. Most of our rides are ten to
fifteen miles. Some people take an hour;
some can do it in thirty minutes. And we
have lots of people who do marathons
and triathlons.”
“I think the gas crunch gave our business
a boost. People are buying smaller cars so
they need racks and rooftop carriers. People
are taking shorter trips by car and longer
trips by bike, canoe, and kayak.”
John Bova
We are an international group of passionate people who help active families, outdoor
enthusiasts, and professionals find safe, easy, and stylish ways to transport their gear.
Working for Thule is more than just a job. Our employees live an active lifestyle and bike,
ski, run, hike, sail, and camp—on their own or with colleagues at Thule supported events.
Connecticut is biking beautiful
The state extends 90 miles (145 km) from east to west and 55 miles (90 km) from north
to south. The state is divided into two sections, the eastern highland and the western
highland, which are separated by the Connecticut Valley lowland. In the south, low rolling
coastal plain leads to the Connecticut shore and the famous bike trails along
Long Island Sound.
John Russo, Jr., improved on the first 920i-based
system. “To reduce cost, I used 720i’s. Now the user
can checkweigh and see the actual results.“ Operators
can now enter a comment recording what was
wrong or missing.
12 RICE LAKE MAGAZINE | www.ricelake.com

solution became an obvious answer to
the problem. Checkweighing 100% of the
packages makes the best buying experience
for Thule customers.
“Corporate had been thinking of systems
to ID product for traceability, and we
were already on it from the checkweighing
for missing parts.” Representatives
from the corporate office in Sweden came
out, looked at the solution, and wanted it
duplicated. “They’re talking about all the
products and plants. In October we’ll do
Chicago, then Florida, then Massachusetts,
then Europe.”
John Russo, Jr., improved on the first
920i-based system in the second build.
“To reduce cost, I used 720i s instead of
the 920i. Now the user can checkweigh
and see the actual results whereas we were
just running a light box with a remote
920i. When there is an error, the operator
can enter a comment to record what was
wrong and which part was missing.” The
first system John designed was hard-wired.
But because of the way Thule constantly
“All the cell leaders
can change jobs; these
720i systems can be
rolled to where they’re
needed. It’s a great
benefit to have
the display right in
front of them.”
John Bova,
Thule quality coordinator
changes their packing areas, this second
system has evolved into 16 wireless 720i
units networked back to a computer running
MS SQL Server 2005 Express Editor.
The units can be rolled to any work cell as
needed. John is working on an even more
sophisticated system which will include
negative weighing—checking to see if the
operator took a part from a bin.
John Bova is pleased. “All the cell leaders
can change jobs; these 720i systems can
be rolled to where they are needed. It’s a
great benefit to have the display right in
front of them. I can monitor the whole
system at my desk and pull up all the
scales or any one scale and monitor to
read the comments in real time. If I see
a lot of errors, I can go and investigate
what may be going wrong; maybe they’re
putting in the wrong hardware bag or
maybe they changed cartons.”
When you assemble your car rack from
Thule, they want you to be completely
satisfied. It’s part of the Thule experience
from start to the finish line. ▪
Smoothing the Road:
RoughDecks ® checkweigh
Chryslers
In 1920, Walter P. Chrysler teamed up
with three ex-Studebaker engineers
to design a revolutionary new car.
They defined the Chrysler brand as
affordable “luxury” vehicles known
for innovative, top-flight engineering.
Within a decade of its founding, Chrysler
Corporation had earned the title of
Detroit’s “engineering company.” Their
automotive firsts included Floating
Power (a new method of mounting
engines to isolate vibration), replaceable
oil filters, downdraft carburetors
and one-piece curved windshields.
For years, Chrysler enjoyed a premium
luxury position competing with
Cadillac and Lincoln.
Following Fiat’s acquisition of a 20%
stake in Chrysler LLC, Fiat declared their
plan to return the brand to an upmarket
marque and launched their marketing
slogan—Imported from Detroit. One
example of that return to top-flight
engineering and luxury is a smooth,
quiet ride. Toward that end, Ron Little,
Kanawha Scales, Michigan, has devised
an unusual application of RoughDecks.
The system consists of four pit-style
RoughDecks® and a 920i dual channel
indicator that is set up in Chrysler’s
“customer satisfaction audit area” at
the auto manufacturing plant in East
Detroit. Ron explains that during each
shift, twenty cars are “audited” by being
driven over the four scales. The driver
gets out and scans the VIN number
sticker into the 920i. The system weighs
each wheel, records the individual
wheel weight, combined weight, time
and date. The information is then
passed on to each local plant and then
on to corporate over Chrysler’s dedicated
server. The whole process takes
about 30 seconds. Kanawha installed
the first test system in 2008. After several
months of testing, Ron has installed
several more systems in Chrysler plants
in the U.S. and Canada. ▪

ON LOCATION
An estimated one out of three people is afraid to fly. Their constant thoughts of what might go
wrong can be overwhelming. After all, when soaring 30,000 feet in the air, one cannot pull over for
a pit stop in the rare case of an emergency. Fortunately, innovations in the industry are helping to improve systems and
equipment—and thus easing the fears of the bug-eyed flier.
Before assembly of an aircraft can even begin, one of a plane’s most essential elements—the wings—must undergo strenuous
force testing. Sophisticated system diagnostics are integrated, and rigorous maintenance schedules must be followed.
One Quebec wing manufacturer has been performing these tests for over 25 years. Because of the wide range of plane sizes, wing
specifications are diverse and so are their test requirements. A Cessna wing’s force threshold is obviously less than a passenger
jet’s threshold. Sturdy wings can be guaranteed by using an indicator to interpret these force tests into a weight value.
However, when Balances Industrielles Montréal (BIM) started working with the wing manufacturer
in 2006, they observed that inefficient data capturing and collection were
elements that could be corrected and streamlined with Rice Lake’s
durable load cells and 920i® programmable indicator.
Simon Grenier, programmer analyst for BIM,
had an idea. Simon thought it would
be ideal to use a variety of load
Continued on page 16
A Cessna wing’s force threshold is obviously less than a
passenger jet’s threshold. By using a 920i programmable
indicator to interpret these forces as weight values,
sturdy and balanced wings can be designed; providing
smooth flights to soothe the bug-eyed flier.
14 RICE LAKE MAGAZINE | www.ricelake.com

ON LOCATION
by Caleb Olsen, reporter
www.ricelake.com | RICE LAKE MAGAZINE 15

ON LOCATION
Wing Walking the 920i continued from page 14
cells for different wings tests to accommodate
the different load requirements.
With only two indicators on site, it would
require the creation of a custom plugand-play
load cell system.
Simon contemplated the possibility of
starting with a six-wire cable, but using
only the standard four-wire connection
and repurposing the additional two wires.
Could he disguise an analog load cell as a
digital load cell that could be recognized
by the controller?
Simon began work on the plug-and-play
load cell system. He applied resistance
to the two supplementary wires—which
are only on the connector and are not
going to the load cell. “When we connect,
it is linking the analog input that is
sending a signal to it,” Simon explains.
“The signal travels through the resistance
and returns with a value we use to assign
an ID for that load cell. Because each
load cell undergoes a 25,000-pound
bench test for calibration and we use the
same simulator for each load cell in the
system, we are able to calculate an accurate
resistance factor for each load cell.
“In the database, we have a correction
factor to the calibration that we have
done with the simulator. So when we
perform the 25,000-pound bench test,
we determine the difference between
Simon says “plug in your load cell.”
With Simon Grenier’s one-of-a-kind system, any load cell
can be connected and display an accurate weight on the fly.
Referencing a database of predetermined correction factors
paired with load cell IDs, the system applies the appropriate
factor before displaying the weight value.
what it’s supposed to show, with what we
get. The multiplier required to bring it
back to the correct value is added to the
920i database. If a portable bench test for
25,000 pounds would be easy to bring to
the customer, we could have used something
much simpler, but they are sending
the load cell here without an indicator.”
Simon explained when they plug in
the load cell, it uses the calibration and
applies the correction factor before displaying
the weight. “No linearity point is
required, but it gives the correct calibration
for wherever the load cell is plugged
in on any indicator. We mirror the same
database in all their indicators, and it’s
adjusting the weight automatically to
give them the correct value.”
Each indicator reads two load cells
simultaneously and captures one
weight per second for 45 minutes at a
time, recording immense amounts of
information. This data is stored in the
920i’s internal memory for
up to 12 hours before it is
downloaded to a PC via a
920i WLAN option card.
Prior to BIM’s system,
only raw data could be
recorded. Now, with the
comprehensive 920i database,
more meaningful
data can be collected.
“When weights are captured,
we link all information
through the database,
including employee number,
time, date, and type
of wing. We create a graph
showing the high and low
values and the estimated
breaking point assigned
to that wing. The client
imports the database
access file and can immediately
see the test results by
looking at the graph. They
used to spend significant
time analyzing the data.
It would take a full day for
only a few tests. Now, they
just click a button and the
job is done.”
BIM also incorporated another visual
aid into the system—a warning light
that indicates when the test is approaching
the estimated breaking point. This
decreases the possibility of too much
weight being accidentally applied to a
wing. Since each wing’s test specifications
are in the 920i database, adding
the light was a breeze.
BIM is not done with the system yet,
however. The client has been working on
external battery power, and BIM is programming
a low-battery alert. Using the
16 RICE LAKE MAGAZINE | www.ricelake.com

ON LOCATION
same analog input, BIM is programming
the 920i to get a battery voltage reading
at specified time intervals (every five
minutes). When the voltage drops below
a certain level, an alert will be displayed.
“It is another step to make them more
efficient,” Simon says. “After they saw
the improvements with our first system,
they are all about efficiency.”
Simon explains before the new system
was in place, the old setup was constantly
breaking. “The load cell was like
a plastic box. It was a nightmare. The
solution we had at first was a simple
system with a competitor’s indicator.
The project really evolved after we had
training with Rice Lake.” The competitor’s
indicator used a programming
language that was too difficult. “With
a book, I could read the code if it was
very small, but it seemed like gibberish.
These days, a lot of people are familiar
with the basics of programming, and
when you look at the Rice Lake code, it
is structured like any PC programming
language. You just need to learn the specific
commands for the application.”
Simon recalls that a lot of programming
was involved, but when it was up and
working, he was pleased, though not
surprised. “I was confident in the Rice
Lake equipment. Recording everything
was no problem.”
Capturing a stable resistance value
through the repurposed load cell wires
was more of a challenge. When the load
cell is connected, the wire is moving and
the resistance gives different values. Simon
decided to put a timer on capturing the
resistance—when a change in voltage is
detected, a three-second timer begins
before the value is captured, allowing
for stability. When a load cell is connected
to the calibration system at BIM,
an automated message, “Recondition in
Progress,” is displayed and a confirmation
message appears when the load
cell is complete. “It’s perfect!” Simon
explains. “We have never had a load cell
that didn’t detect, and we are very happy
with them. The client is rough on their
connectors, which is why the old ones
were always breaking. We have a good
load cell with a good connector now.”
Adding new load cells to the system is
easy; the client simply sends it to BIM
for calibration. Once finished, BIM
sends the load cell back with an updated
data file containing the new load cell ID.
Current data is updated with the new
calibration factor.
The client is currently manufacturing
the lower portion of the wings, but they
are in the process of adding the upper
part, so the system will need to be
modified to accommodate a different
test. BIM is also working on automating
the system with hydraulic jacks controlled
by the 920i.
A once simple application has evolved
into a sophisticated data collection
behemoth with plug-and-play, automatically
calibrated load cells. With the
help of Rice Lake as co-pilot, Balances
Industrielles Montréal has been able to
soar to safe new heights. ▪
Grad School
for Scale Techs
New scale techs learn a lot on the job, and they learn
even more in our classroom. Even experienced scale techs benefit
from ongoing training to keep up with the latest weighing equipment,
software and techniques.
Rice Lake Technical Training Seminars are the quickest, surest
and most economical means to bring all your scale techs
up to speed. Newcomers learn the basics—
old hands learn new skills.
Go to ricelake.com/training for class dates and details,
or call Paul Cernick: 715-434-5128
800-472-6703 • www.ricelake.com
mobile: m.ricelake.com

ON LOCATION
Time
Automated
18 RICE LAKE MAGAZINE | www.ricelake.com

ON LOCATION
Flies at Tilcon
go
Ticketing Systems increase plant throughput
Tilcon owns and operates dozens of quarries, asphalt and
recycling plants, water terminals, and highway construction divisions,
in New York and New Jersey. At the Mount Hope Quarry alone they
weigh hundreds of trucks on a busy day. Advance Scale Company, Inc., Rockaway, N.J.,
has installed Automated Ticketing Systems (ATS) on the truck scales to handle that
volume of traffic and the enormous amount of data they generate.
“Safety–Productivity–Data Security–Lower Overhead”
There are four major reasons for using the Rice Lake Automated Ticketing Systems. You
might even be able to justify the purchase of an ATS if you had only two of these important
reasons, but when you can hit all four, you will have made a big contribution to
your company’s bottom line. The management at Tilcon. recognized this important tool
several years ago as a means of gaining more throughput from their truck scale transactions,
and have instituted a program to install an ATS at all of their truck scales.
Efficiency
In the past it took an average of three minutes (and sometimes up to eight minutes) for
a truck to drive on a truck scale, capture a weight, drive off the scale, have the driver
into the scale house to get his ticket,
get back in his truck and drive off. These
trips were sometimes drawn out by conversation
and coffee.
Rice Lake Weighing Systems’ ATS has
reduced this three-minute process to 45
seconds. The driver now drives on the
scale, takes the ticket from the kiosk without
leaving the cab, converses through an
intercom with three of the most efficient
(and friendly) weigh masters in the industry,
and moves on.
Inside the scale house, Ellen Hays, Ronnie
Mattia and Chrissy Bishop, weigh masters,
say “saving time” is the first advantage
of the ATS. Weigh masters like to keep
the line moving fast; it makes time fly.
When truckers came into the scale house,
they were likely to visit a few minutes.
According to Ellen, “We would talk about
traffic or weather or family. We are still
able to offer a friendly greeting over the
intercom and keep the traffic moving
without ignoring the personal contact”.
Cell phones can be a problem when the
Continued on page 20
Ronnie Mattia, Tilcon weigh master, has seen incredible improvements in efficiency. “It wasn’t so long ago,
everything—driver ID, weight, product—was recorded manually.”
Ellen Hays, Tilcon weigh master, has a large sign taped
on her window: “GET OFF YOUR PHONE, please.”
www.ricelake.com | RICE LAKE MAGAZINE 19

ON LOCATION
Time Flies at Tilcon continued from page 19
driver is chatting instead of processing
the ticket. Ellen has a large sign taped
on her window, “GET OFF YOUR
PHONE, please.”
Safety
Dan Batelli, supervisor of Tilcon’s scale
operations, is enthusiastic about auto
ticketing. And, surprisingly, not primarily
because they are operating far more
efficiently. “Safety” was the first benefit
he mentioned—keeping truckers in
their vehicles. “Tilcon is committed to
a full-bore safety program.”
It was obvious that this statement is true.
When we got out of our vehicle, Paul
Gerard instructed us to turn our wheels
into the curb so that the vehicle would
not go straight down the incline where
we had parked. Hard hats and safety vests
were the order of the day while out of the
vehicle. We knew going in that safety was
not just a slogan on the wall at Tilcon.
When the driver gets out of the truck, there
is an increased opportunity for injury. With
hundreds of trucks passing through the
yard daily—in snow, ice, and rain—keeping
drivers in their trucks keeps them safer and
lowers liability risk for Tilcon.
Reduced Costs
Before the ATSs were installed, each of
the scales needed a weigh master standing
at a booth taking care of drivers,
one at a time. Now three weigh masters
handle all the scales with the streamlined
process created by the ATS.
Right: Paul Gerard, Advance Scale
vice president of operations, and Kyle
Vough, Advance Scale senior technician,
installed and maintain ATSs on the
Tilcon truck scales to efficiently handle
hundreds of trucks a day.
Secure Data
Weights are captured electronically and
information is streamed to their Enterprise
Software that keeps track of all costs,
inventory, and billing. No keying errors.
Keying errors cost most companies 1%
to 2% in annual revenue. No paper to
lose or misplace. They have captured the
information, which is only going into
their system.
Dealing with the environmental issues
on the high-activity truck scales at Tilcon
represented a challenge that Paul and
Kyle Vough, Advance Scale senior technician,
had long prepared. The kiosks are
located out in the weather. Hot in summer,
and way below freezing in winter.
High volume meant frequent changes
of ticketing stock.
Everyone interviewed explained how the
ATS improved their workday. Efficiency,
safety, reduced cost and secure data—
those are the four big reasons Tilcon lists.
How would Automated Ticketing Systems
improve your workdays? ▪
The Dirt on
Gravel
Gravel is any loose rock that is of
particular particle size. Geologic classes
place gravel between sand and cobble.
Gravel can also be classified by size—granule
and pebble. One cubic yard of gravel
typically weighs about 3,000 pounds; or a
cubic meter is about 1,800 kilograms.
Gravel can also be distinguished by type.
• Bank gravel is gravel intermixed with
sand or clay.
• Bench gravel is a bed of gravel located
along the side of a valley, usually the
former location of a stream bed when
it was higher.
• Creek rock is rounded, semi-polished
stones, potentially of a wide range of
types, dredged or scooped from river
and creek beds.
• Crushed rock is rock that is mechanically
broken into small pieces then sorted by
filtering through various size screens.
• Crushed stone is crushed limestone or
dolomite, screened to size classes, widely
used in concrete and to surface roads
and driveways, often topped with tar.
• Limestone crushed stone is dense grade
aggregate (DGA), or crusher run, a
mixed grade of mostly small crushed
stone in a matrix of crushed limestone
or dolomite powder.
• Fine gravel consists of particles
with a diameter of 2 to 4 mm.
• Lag gravel is a surface accumulation,
or topping, of coarse gravel
produced by removing finer particles.
• Pay gravel is also known as “pay dirt”; a
nickname for gravel with a high concentration
of gold and other precious
metals, which are famously recovered
by panning.
• Pea gravel consists of small, rounded
stones used in concrete-surfaced sidewalks
and driveways, and in home aquariums.
• Piedmont gravel is coarse gravel washed
down from high ground by mountain
streams and deposited on relatively flat
ground, where the stream runs slower.
• Plateau gravel is a layer of gravel on
a plateau or other region above the
height where stream-terrace gravel
is usually found.
• River run gravel is naturally deposited
gravel found in and next to rivers
and streams.
Source: Wikipedia.org
20 RICE LAKE MAGAZINE | www.ricelake.com

Order an Epson ® printer and you could
win a Kindle ® loaded with Rice Lake
and Epson manuals!
Your name goes into the drawing when you order
one of these printers during our Epson Printer
Promotion between April 1 and May 31, 2011.
The Epson TM-U295 is the smallest ticket
printer in the world with the most user-friendly
features. It is ultra-light and ultra-compact, but
loaded with features, like an easy-to-use
touch panel and automatic paper ejection.
The Epson TM-U590 Ticket Printer prints
one to four copies on a variety of tickets.
This highly versatile printer handles
slips, checks, and ticket applications
up to 42 columns.
Learn more at
ricelake.com/epsonkindle.
TM-U590
800-472-6703
www.ricelake.com
mobile: m.ricelake.com
TM-U295

Tech talk
Blowin΄ in the Wind
Wireless
technology
made simple
by Jim Daggon, Rice Lake senior engineer,
Emerging Technologies
22 RICE LAKE MAGAZINE | www.ricelake.com

Tech talk
The first wireless message sent over
the open sea was “Are you ready?”
Guglielmo Marconi sent that message
across the Bristol Channel over a distance
of a little under four miles, a record for
wireless broadcast distances and the
first to prove that wireless communication
over long distances including ships
at sea was possible.
Ready or not, ever since that day—May
13, 1897—the use of wireless communication
has continued to increase in both
distance and capability. Wireless communication
has been all around us, invisible
to all but those who are actively using it.
Today, turning on a radio, TV, or GPS,
using a Bluetooth® headset for our
phone, or even a laptop in a coffee shop,
transforms us into users of wireless
technology. There are many different
uses, implementations, applications,
and frequencies in use today. They all
co-exist in the same air space that we
live in, blissfully unencumbered by its
presence until we request it.
In this article, we look at three specific
implementations, their uses, and advantages
and disadvantages for certain applications:
Bluetooth, ZigBee, and Wi-Fi.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth was initially just a code name
for the technology and was taken from
the nickname of Harald Blåtand who
was the King of Denmark between AD
940 and AD 985. The rumor was that
the Danish king was given the nickname
“Bluetooth” because he was so fond of
blueberries that his teeth were stained
blue. The founders of the Bluetooth
SIG (Special Interest Group) felt that
the name was appropriate because
Harald Bluetooth and the technology
are both of Scandinavian origin. Just
as King Harald Bluetooth united the
warring factions in parts of what are
now Norway, Sweden, and Denmark,
Bluetooth technology unites multiple
forms of wireless communication such
as the computing, mobile phone, and
automotive markets into a single, secure,
low-power, low-cost, globally available
radio frequency.
Bluetooth wireless technology is geared
toward voice and data applications in
what is referred to as a Personal Area
Network. Bluetooth wireless technology
operates in the unlicensed 2.4 GHz spectrum,
and is therefore able to penetrate
solid objects.
The range of Bluetooth wireless technology
is application specific. The Bluetooth
Specification mandates operation over
a minimum distance of 10 meters or
100 meters depending on the Bluetooth
device class, but there is not a range limit
for the technology. Manufacturers may
tune their implementations to support
the distance required by the use case
they are enabling. Bluetooth technology
sets up a Personal Area Network and is
primarily used for connecting devices in
a small physical perimeter.
A maximum of seven devices can be
paired with a master device. The master
Continued on page 25
www.ricelake.com | RICE LAKE MAGAZINE 23

Tech talk
Honey Bee Dance
Scout bees look for nectar. Once they find a source they return to the hive and
perform a dance which tells the forager bees where the source is located.
The forager bees dance behind the scout bees until they learn the location.
Once they know they fly out to collect the nectar.
Why Bluetooth?
If you are in your car, it is convenient to
set up your cell phone, your car’s GPS,
and your hands-free headset to “talk” to
each other. That way, if you have your
headset with you, as you get in the car,
your headset can talk to the phone. If
you forgot your headset, the GPS can be
paired with the phone to allow you to talk
on the phone via the microphone in the
GPS. Since they are close to each other and
need to be paired up differently each time
you use them, it is convenient to pair them
once, and when they are in range, have
them connect automatically.
In a scale application, you could use
Bluetooth for a master device that occasionally
has to travel around to different
scales and get the readings from them
when the operator is close by.
Why ZigBee®?
The main advantage to ZigBee is its ability
to self-form a “mesh” network to get the
message through. A good example of this
would be in a building where you wanted
to collect the temperature in every office
on multiple floors, to balance the heat or
air conditioning. If someone rearranged
his or her office and unknowingly placed
a big steel file cabinet in front of a node,
it might be cut off from the rest of the
network. However, only the messages
from that node would be lost. The rest of
the messages that used that node as a
routing device would simply form a new
route around it by using another path. It
would also make it very obvious where the
problem was, rather than a whole section
of the network going down and having
the old “Christmas tree light” problem of
locating the fault or faults.
A load cell (and its associated A/D circuitry)
could be connected to a ZigBee end device
and transmit weight on a regular basis
to an indicator that was within range of
either the load cell or a coordinator node
to extend the distance.
Why Wi-Fi?
Wi-Fi is rapidly growing in use. The
advantages are the ability to handle large
amounts of data with a long range (see
chart on page 27) between devices. PCs
use this regularly to communicate on the
Internet, at home, or in coffee houses and
other establishments that offer free Wi-Fi.
Hotels use this since it is much easier to
equip an existing hotel with Wi-Fi than it
is to hard wire Ethernet® to every room.
A scale indicator can be equipped with
Wi-Fi to communicate wirelessly to either an
existing Ethernet network or the Internet.
24 RICE LAKE MAGAZINE | www.ricelake.com

Tech talk
Blowin’ in the Wind continued from page 23
device is placed in a discovery mode,
and the slave device is also placed in a
pairing mode. When the master detects
the slave device, a confirmation is usually
required. Once this is acknowledged, the
master can be placed in a mode that will
always acknowledge the slave with or
without a manual confirmation. Manual
confirmation is slower but more secure.
Also, master units can be set to nondiscoverable
mode to prevent them from
sending out discovery packets.
Technical Specs
Bluetooth uses adaptive frequencyhopping
spread spectrum modulation
(AFHSS), which uses 79 channels or
frequencies at 1 MHz intervals between
2.4 and 2.485 GHz. It is unlicensed in
most countries. Because of this, it can
easily co-exist with other technologies
and modulation schemes even in the
same frequency.
The peak data rate of Bluetooth technology
depends on the version and power,
which ranges from 2.5 microwatts (low
energy) and 1-3 Mbps to 2.5 milliwatts
with a data rate of up to 24 Mbps.
Bluetooth technology is omnidirectional
and does not require line-of-sight positioning
of connected devices.
Security has always been and continues
to be a priority in the development of the
Bluetooth specification, which allows for
three modes of security.
The cost of Bluetooth chips is under $3.
ZigBee®
The ZigBee technology was initially
designed to make a mesh network of
sensors for use in building automation
for lighting and temperature control. The
name of the brand is a reference to the
behavior of worker honey bees after they
return to the beehive.
When food is discovered by scout workers,
they return to the hive. Shortly after
their return, many foragers leave the hive
and fly directly to the food. The remarkable
thing about this is that the foragers
do not follow the scouts back (the scouts
may remain in the hive for hours). So the
scout bees have communicated to the
foragers the necessary information for
them to find the food on their own by a
dance. The scouts zig and zag back and
forth in a certain manner and number of
repetitions to convey to the foragers information
about the odor of the food, its
direction from the hive, and its distance
from the hive.
In the same manner, ZigBee wireless
devices have the ability to create ad hoc
networks dynamically, so that messages
can get through even if the environment
or the different nodes in the network
are changing or adversely affected
in some way.
There are three different types of ZigBee
devices:
ZigBee coordinator (ZC): The most
capable device, the coordinator forms
the root of the network tree and might
bridge to other networks. There is exactly
one ZigBee coordinator in each network
since it is the device that started the
network originally. It is able to store information
about the network, including
Continued on page 26
Top
Access
SURVIVORS’ ® bolt-free covers
permit easy access to load cells
and electronic components
through the scale deck. Side
access can be difficult depending
on the scale location to buildings.
Harsh weather and age also cause
bolts to seize up or break off.
Owner benefits: fast throughput, low maintena

Tech talk
Blowin’ in the Wind continued from page 25
acting as the trust center and repository
for security keys.
ZigBee Router (ZR): As well as running
an application function, a router can act
as an intermediate router, passing on data
from other devices.
ZigBee End Device (ZED): Contains just
enough functionality to talk to the parent
node (either the coordinator or a router);
it cannot relay data from other devices.
This relationship allows the node to be
asleep a significant amount of the time,
thereby extending battery life. A ZED
requires the least amount of memory,
and therefore can be less expensive to
manufacture than a ZR or ZC.
Technical Specs
ZigBee is also referred to as the IEEE
802.15.4.
Low Power—Individual devices must
have a two-year battery life to pass
ZigBee certification.
ZigBee operates in the 2.4 GHz region
also, in most of the world, with an ad-
ditional spectrum at 915 MHz and 868
MHz in Europe. It uses direct-sequence
spread spectrum (DSSS) modulation and
a very powerful 128-bit AES encryption
scheme. The ZigBee network can have
as many as 65,000 nodes, all of which
can be with routers, or end users, but
only one coordinator! With all the traffic
going along its network, collisions are
avoided and corrected when they do
occur using CSMA/CA—Carrier Sense
Multiple Access/Collision Avoidance.
This means that whenever a device has
a need to transmit, it listens for a free
carrier, and then transmits. This method
avoids collisions, rather than trying to
sort them out later.
One advantage of the low power
(multiyear) specification is that it includes
a very fast “wake-up time” for end devices.
Wi-Fi
The term Wi-Fi is almost always associated
with the IEEE 802.11x standard.
The term Wi-Fi was originally coined
as a twist on Hi-Fi, and references to
Wireless Fidelity appear in some early
documents from the Wi-Fi alliance. The
Wi-Fi alliance serves a purpose similar
Potential Wireless LAN Uses
802.11
A B G N
Data Rate 6-54 mBPS 1-11 Mbps 1-54 Mbps 7.2-72.2
MIMO 1 1 1 4
Modulation ODFM DSSS OFDM,DSSS OFDM
Indoor Range 115 125 125 230
Outdoor Range 390 460 460 820
Patented Mounts
SURVIVORS’ exclusive G-Force mount system also eliminates
excess movement and troublesome check rods and bumper bolts.
Bumper bolts often cause binding and end up loose if they are not
properly tightened when set.
Open Bottom
SURVIVORS’ open-bottom design eliminates enclosed areas where
moisture builds up and causes rust. Rice Lake’s unique asphalt
emulsion coating is applied to non-visible steel surfaces and undersides
before pouring concrete decks.
ce, long service, and bragging rights―you own th

Tech talk
Comparison Chart
Mode Power Data Rate
(Max Bps)
Cost
Minimum
Range
Nodes
Determinism
Ease
of Setup
Security
Bluetooth Pairing 1mW-100mW 24M Low 10 Meters 7 High Very easy Fair
ZigBee ZigBee 1mW and lower 250K Low 75 Meters 65,000 Little or none Simple Good
Wi-Fi TCP/IP 100mW 54M Med 95 Meters 4 million + Little or none Moderate Very good
to both the Bluetooth SIG and the
ZigBee alliance—to provide testing and
assurance of conformity to the standard.
It is almost synonymous with computer
wireless communications.
Wi-Fi is used for a Local Area Network
of PCs. These can be connected in an
ad hoc network or as a more static
method using either MAC addresses
or fixed IP addresses.
Technical Specs
There are 14 channels designated in
the 2.4 GHz range spaced 5 MHz apart
(with the exception of a 12 MHz spacing
before Channel 14). Because the protocol
requires 25 MHz of channel separation,
adjacent channels overlap and will interfere
with each other. Consequently, using
only channels 1, 6, 11, and 14 is recommended
to avoid interference.
Potential Wireless LAN uses of this range
are documented by IEEE 802.11a, b, g
and n. Countries apply their own regulations
to the allowable channels, allowed
users, and maximum power levels within
the frequency range. (See Potential Wireless
LAN Uses chart.)
So, which is best? It depends on the application.
(See Comparison Chart).
Need an easy-to-set-up, on-the-fly network
with a limited number of nodes that
you can simply pair up? Use Bluetooth.
Need a very low-power network to reliably
send small amounts of data over a
wide range regardless of network conditions?
Use ZigBee.
Need a fast network that can be expanded,
can send large amounts of data
quickly, can be scaled quickly, and is
future-proof? Use Wi-Fi. ▪
Rodent
Barrier
SURVIVORS’ flexible steel
conduit at the connection point
to the load cell and steel conduit
throughout are the ultimate
protection against rodents
chewing through to wires. They
can chew through braided or
sheathed cable causing scales
to malfunction or fail.
Stone Crusher
SURVIVORS’ exclusive rock guard crushes
stones before they find a spot to bind the scale.
e toughest truck scale on earth
Watch the video, send for the book, and register for a free
SURVIVOR safety vest at ricelake.com/survivor
800-472-6703
www.ricelake.com
mobile: m.ricelake.com

230 W. Coleman Street
Rice Lake WI 54868
Change Service Requested
Presort Standard
U.S. Postage
Paid
Rice Lake
Weighing Systems
Who knew weighing equipment could be so
interesting—or so critical to an enterprise?
But it is. Scales touch our lives every day.
So let’s stay in touch.
Catch up with old friends, make new ones,
collaborate on solutions, share weighty stories,
and keep up with what’s new.
Just go to www.facebook.com/ricelakeweighingsystems, click the Like button,
and join the conversation. Share a snippet or story involving Rice Lake equipment
and we will enter your name in a drawing to win this iPad. That’s something else you’re bound to Like!
*Do it before July 1, 2011, and you’ll be in the drawing to win this iPad.