[Abstract] "Anti-falling, anti-rotation, easy to install" are the difficulties and pain points of column-type weighing sensors in the actual use of electronic truck scales. The technological progress of resistance strain gauges and the improvement of the design level of mechanical structures have created conditions and possibilities for the popularization of column-type weighing sensors. The large-scale promotion of column-type weighing sensors can effectively promote the improvement of the manufacturing level of electronic weighing instruments, strengthen after-sales safety, and improve the accuracy level of electronic weighing instruments. To a certain extent, it can prevent the weighing instrument industry from further moving towards vicious price competition and promote the sustainable development of the industry.
[Keywords] Electronic truck scale; column-type weighing sensor; sustainable development
1  Understanding and cognitive bias of the selection differences of common electronic truck scale weighing sensors at home and abroad
Strain-type weighing sensors are widely used in electronic truck scales. According to their typical structures, they can be divided into two categories: positive stress, i.e. column-type weighing sensors, and shear stress, i.e. bridge-type weighing sensors. The selection of weighing sensors for domestic electronic truck scales is mainly bridge-type, while foreign countries, especially developed countries such as Europe and the United States, tend to column-type structures. The reason for such differences is related to the characteristics of the weighing sensor structure and the development stage of electronic weighing instruments. The installation of bridge weighing sensors is relatively simple, and debugging and maintenance personnel only need simple training to get started, which can greatly save the human training costs and labor costs of weighing instrument manufacturers or after-sales maintenance providers. The strain zone is an I-beam structure, and the cross-sectional shear stress is evenly distributed, which can improve the ability to resist lateral force and eccentric force. The steel ball is a point contact, does not transmit lateral load and lateral torque, but only transmits axial load. In general weighing occasions, lateral limiters do not need to be installed, so the processing and production requirements of electronic weighing instruments are relatively simple, and the manufacturing cost and installation cost can be optimized. These characteristics of bridge weighing sensors are more suitable for the weighing instrument industry in the growth stage. Column weighing sensors have a compact structure, small size, high natural frequency, and fast dynamic response. There are no fixing bolts, so there is no need to worry about quality risks caused by rust or loosening after long-term use. However, column weighing sensors have relatively high requirements for limit and installation, which will increase the cost of labor training and service. The load-bearing structure has certain requirements, which also makes cost optimization more difficult. Therefore, the cost of electronic scales equipped with column-type load cells is relatively high, which is suitable for medium and large users or customers who are not sensitive to price. Therefore, developed countries such as Europe and the United States prefer column structures. The difference in the selection of electronic truck scale load cells at home and abroad, and the different prices of electronic scales equipped with bridge-type or column-type load cells, have led to some biases in the understanding of column-type and bridge-type load cells among some domestic electronic scale practitioners: for example, electronic truck scales equipped with column-type load cells are expensive, so they are high-end; electronic truck scales equipped with bridge-type load cells are relatively cheap, so they are low-end; low-end or most users cannot afford or will not use electronic truck scales equipped with column-type load cells, etc.