SCALESINC: Scale monitoring becomes remote, centralized, and accessible from anywhere

An industrial scale does more than just display a weight in kilograms. Every weighing operation generates information that can become an integral part of business management: quantities handled, materials, customers, suppliers, equipment, operators, the number of transactions, and trends in business activity over time.

The problem arises when this information is scattered across different facilities, locations, or systems that can only be accessed locally.

SCALESINC, the solution developed by Cogo Bilance —drawing on the experience and expertise of Elimos, which was recently acquired through a merger—was created to change this model: to make data from scales accessible remotely and to transform the weighing system into an accessible, centralized source of information.

From the Scale to the Data: How Industrial Weighing Is Changing

For a long time, the role of an industrial weighing system was associated primarily with measurement: a load enters, its weight is recorded, the operation is logged, and the process continues.

Thanks to digitization, we can now view the same process from a different perspective.

Weight remains, of course, the key metric, but a great deal of other information useful for managing operations can be gathered and organized around it. The value of an advanced system no longer depends solely on its ability to weigh accurately, but also on its ability to make weighing data available to the people who need it, regardless of their physical location.

SCALESINC was developed based on this principle.

What is SCALESINC?

SCALESINC is a Cogo Bilance solution that allows you to remotely monitor operations performed on scales and view their data via Internet-connected devices.

From a PC or tablet, you can access information about one or more scales without having to be physically present at the facility.

The system allows you to view data such as:

• gross weight, tare weight, and net weight;
• number of weighings performed;
• quantity of material handled, broken down by type;
• information regarding customers and suppliers;
• additional data associated with the weighing process, depending on the application requirements, such as reading the vehicle’s license plate or identifying the driver.

The goal is not simply to view a weighing operation remotely. It is to bring together, in a single information environment, what is happening across the company’s various weighing systems.

A single interface, even for scales installed in different locations

One of the most interesting aspects emerges in companies that have multiple weighing systems.

The scales may be located within the same facility or distributed across different facilities, warehouses, or operational sites. In a traditional setup, physical distance can lead to fragmented information.

SCALESINC overcomes this limitation through data centralization.

The information from the various scales is transmitted to the cloud and can be accessed through a secure login using a username and password.

In this way, the plant’s geographic location gradually becomes less important: multiple plants can be monitored within the same system even when they are located in different places.

For a multi-site company, this means having a more comprehensive view of weighing operations without having to collect information separately from each location.

Check the weigh-ins from a PC or tablet

Remote control also changes the relationship between the weighing system and those who need to use the information it provides.

Company managers and authorized personnel do not necessarily have to be standing in front of the scale display to know what is happening. Through an Internet-connected device, they can access the data available in the system.

This is particularly useful when operational management is decentralized, when there are multiple weighing stations, or when the information needs to be accessed by different business units.

The scale thus ceases to be an isolated source of information and becomes a connected node within the corporate system.

More Than Just Weight: Information Related to Materials, Customers, and Suppliers

Centralization becomes even more valuable when management information is linked to the metrological data.

Knowing that a scale has recorded a specific weight is essential. However, being able to link that reading to a type of material, a customer, or a supplier allows you to understand the transaction within its context.

SCALESINC allows you to view material quantities broken down by type and to assign tasks to the people involved.

The system can also be configured to handle additional information requested by the customer. Examples include license plate recognition and driver identification.

A single weighing can thus become part of a more comprehensive record of the operation.

Why Centralize Scale Data?

The availability of centralized data addresses an increasingly pressing need in the industry: to prevent potentially useful information from remaining confined within individual plants.

With SCALESINC, weighing can become part of a broader digital management framework.

This means being able to view completed transactions, monitor the quantities handled, filter data by material and by party involved, and access information from multiple weighing systems.

This isn’t about adding complexity to the weighing process. On the contrary, the idea is to make it easier to access the information that the weighing process already generates.

Cloud and Data Protection

Remote management also requires special attention to the issue of information security.

Data from scales managed through SCALESINC is transmitted to a proprietary cloud infrastructure, and customers access the system using a username and password provided by Cogo Bilance.

Data processing is carried out in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679—the GDPR—the European regulatory framework governing the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data.

This aspect takes on particular significance when technical weighing data is combined with information that may pertain to vehicles, license plates, or operator identification.

From the connected scale to connected management

SCALESINC is a good example of the evolution currently taking place in the industrial weighing sector.

Measurement accuracy remains the starting point. This is complemented by connectivity, access to information, and the ability to correlate data from different systems.

The result is a system in which the scale should no longer be viewed merely as the instrument that determines the weight of a vehicle or a material.

Become a data source within the business process.

For companies that operate in multiple countries, have operations at different locations, or need to monitor activities remotely, the ability to centralize information enables a simpler and more streamlined management process.

SCALESINC: a solution tailored to the plant’s needs

Every industrial setting has different processes, equipment, and requirements. For this reason, the information related to weighing can also vary depending on the application.

SCALESINC was developed to provide the option of supplementing basic weighing data with additional information tailored to the customer’s operational needs.

Cogo Bilance’s experience in industrial weighing and the expertise acquired through Elimos thus come together in a solution designed to achieve a specific goal: to make weighing data available where it’s needed, when it’s needed, and to the people authorized to use it.

To learn more about SCALESINC, evaluate its application on an existing scale, or design a weighing system with remote control and centralized data management, please contact Cogo Bilance to discuss the system’s features and your specific operational needs.