Mechanical Installation
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Rice Lake Weighing Systems
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5
4.0
Mechanical Installation
4.1 Installation Guidelines for Tank Mounts
• Mounting surfaces for plates must be level. After installation, the top and bottom plates
must be level within ±0.5°. If the mounting surfaces are not level, use shims and/or
grout to level the mount.
• Check that the mount is level when the vessel is fully loaded, if possible, excessive
deflections in legs and supporting structures can cause additional side forces which
affect accuracy. Deflection of the mount top or base plate due to loading must not
exceed ±0.5°. Reinforcement of legs or other support structures may be necessary to
correct this. Vessels with long legs should have cross bracing applied between adjacent
legs to keep them from spreading under load.
• Compression mounting systems use three, four, or more mounts. More than eight-
mount systems should be avoided as even weight distribution becomes extremely
difficult to achieve. The load on each mount assembly should vary by no more than
20%. Add shims as needed, to achieve correct load distribution.
• Take extreme care to prevent overload damage. A tank or hopper can exert huge forces
when dropped only a fraction of an inch.
• It is crucial that all piping or conduit be horizontal and flexible. If flexible piping is not
used, make sure the distance from vessel to the first pipe support is 20-30 times pipe
diameter. In smaller, lower capacity tanks and hoppers, isolating resultant forces
becomes extremely critical. See the Load Cell and Weigh Module Handbook manual
(PN 22054) for more information.
Figure 4-1. Installation
• The weigh module assemblies should not be installed until all welding is completed. The
heat generated from welding current passing through a load cell can damage the
adhesive holding the strain gauge to the body. If possible, use a dummy mount when
welding to maintain finished height. If welding is unavoidable after load cell installation,
connect the ground in such a way that the current does not flow through the load cell.
Protect the load cell and cable from weld splatter.
Example: if welding on the mount top plate, the ground must be connected to the
vessel, not to the mount base or support structure.
Level
±
0.5
Flexible Piping
J-Box
