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REMBE® Kersting GmbHREMBE® Kersting GmbH

Mass Measurement on Pillar and Frame Silos

In the production and processing of bulk materials, regardless of the industry, wherever silos are used, the mass or weight of the substance inside is of crucial importance. In many cases, different methods of level measurement are used. While the use of contactless techniques, which work with the help of radar, microwaves, or ultrasound, determines the level of the silo, the mass is not reliably evaluated.

Contactless level measurement often faces difficulties when the mass of the content is of interest. Depending on the type of stored material, core flow can occur, meaning the material only moves in the area of the discharge opening. The result is bridging or chimney formation, which can lead to erroneous measurements, and in extreme cases, the silo can overflow or run empty.

    Transmitter "ADAM" that displays the mass of the silo contents.

    A simple, cost-optimized, and reliable solution

    A simple, cost-optimized, and reliable solution is offered by the gravimetric level measurement using "MicroCells" from REMBE® Kersting GmbH. The medium-sized company from Sauerland has developed a complete package of sensors and the newly developed active transmitter "ADAM", ensuring reproducible silo level measurement. The "ADAM" is designed with a stainless steel field housing for rough application fields and has a (0)4-20mA output signal.

    Installing the system is straightforward. The silo does not need to be emptied or rebuilt during assembly. The "MicroCells" are simply mounted externally on the silo's pillars. As the silo is filled or emptied, compressions, expansions, or shearing occur in the silo structure material. The "MicroCells" capture these deformations through integrated strain gauges and transmit the parameters to the connected "ADAM" transmitter, which displays the mass of the silo content.

    Customers can independently calibrate the system. The next time the silo is emptied, the zero point in the system simply needs to be defined, and a known mass added. The system then determines the voltage change in the material and is thus ready for use, reliably measuring the weight of the content.

    The gravimetric level measurement from REMBE® Kersting thus offers a simple retrofitting option for silos where contactless level measurement does not achieve the desired results. The system is maintenance-free and operates reliably through temperature-compensated sensors. Another advantage is that there are no downtime during installation.