Custom Railcar Weight Scales: How Wingfield Solves Weighing Challenges

Graphic illustrating the customization process of railcar weight scales, showing balance scales symbolizing accuracy and a settings icon for customization, overlaid on a background of railcars

Frustrated with outdated railcar weight scales costing you time and money?

Struggling to meet modern industry demands with weighing equipment from the past?

In this case study, we’ll explore how Wingfield helped Olin, a giant in the chemical industry, overcome these obstacles with our custom railcar weight scales.

Like many industries with unique needs, they found that standard scales weren’t sufficient. That’s where custom weight scales come into play.

Olin’s railcar weighing system was stuck in another era.

They struggled to maintain it.

Their software only ran on Windows 98, so they couldn’t rely on it anymore.

Imagine using an ancient computer to weigh hazardous materials like chlorine accurately and effectively in 2024.

They needed a faster and easier system that would work better with their exact processes and specifications.

That’s why they reached out to Wingfield and spoke with our expert scale programmers about custom weighing solutions.

Introducing Custom Railcar Weight Scales: The Future of Railcar Weighing

In today’s fast-paced industrial landscape, one-size-fits-all solutions often fall short of meeting unique operational needs as Olin realized.

Our custom rail car scales bridges this gap by providing tailor-made software that integrates seamlessly with your weighing equipment and workflow.

It involves designing and implementing specialized code to enhance scale functionality, improve accuracy, and streamline processes.

Infographic illustrating the benefits of custom railcar weight scales by Wingfield Scale. Highlights include precision, efficiency, integration, and adaptability. Custom programming enhances accuracy, automates processes, seamlessly integrates with operational software, and evolves with business needs. Essential for industries like Olin handling hazardous materials

Understanding Railcar Weights and Their Impact on Operations

Knowing the exact weight of a railcar isn’t just about numbers.

It’s about safety, efficiency, and compliance.

Moreover, overloaded or underloaded railcars can lead to serious issues:

  • Safety Hazards: Overloaded railcars increase the risk of derailments and accidents.
  • Regulatory Fines: Exceeding weight limits can result in hefty penalties.
  • Operational Inefficiencies: Inaccurate weights disrupt scheduling and logistics, leading to delays and increased costs

For Olin, transporting hazardous materials like chlorine made accurate weighing even more critical.

They couldn’t afford any mistakes.

Understanding these challenges, we knew that Olin needed more than just a standard solution.

Custom-Built Solutions Tailored To Your Railcar Weighing Needs

Upgrading to Modern, Reliable Railcar Weighing Systems

We don’t think inside the box at Wingfield.

Once we understood Olin’s specific needs for weighing chemicals, we knew we had to build them something from scratch.

The process was kind of like how an artist would create a painting.

We began with a blank canvas for each of our industrial scale customizations. 

This artist’s approach isn’t limited to railcars; it’s how we tackle challenges across all industries, crafting custom weight scales that fit each unique need.

For Olin, It meant writing new scale programs, upgrading features, and rigorous custom interface coding and design, so they could have a one-of-a-kind set up.

Touch screen scale with custom interface by Wingfield Scale, showcasing easy-to-use features such as tare, mode, units, and print options, designed to improve operational efficiency for clients like Olin

It meant replacing their old systems with easy-to-use touch-screen scales and custom coding them to significantly improve their processes. 

But like with any complex project involving innovations, we faced challenges along the way.

In fact, challenges can be inevitable when creating something you’re proud of.

Think about it for a moment:

When Albert Einstein set out to develop his groundbreaking theories, he encountered significant obstacles.

He understood that overcoming complex problems required creative problem solving.

He once said:

Handling Unexpected Obstacles with Speed and Teamwork

For our railcar weight scale project with Olin, a small bug surfaced during Olin’s initial use due to some testing limitations.

This happened because there was a seven-hour weighing process their rail scales had to go through.

Real-time code testing on such a lengthy process was impractical, especially after we implemented some newly requested coding tweaks on-the-fly.

We put on our thinking caps and sprang into action. 

Group of hands holding puzzle pieces coming together, symbolizing teamwork and collaborative problem-solving at Wingfield Scale

Within hours, we worked together.

First and foremost, we identified the issue and resolved it fast.

Second, we conducted quality tests to guarantee the software was bulletproof.

Olin was impressed, and we were proud of the quality we delivered.

They appreciated not just the solution but also our speed, commitment, and relentless pursuit of excellence.

Testimonial from Phillip Welty, Project Engineer at Olin, praising Wingfield Scale for successfully installing and running three custom scales with excellent service, highlighted with a 5-star rating.

Streamlining Railcar Weight Scales with Custom Coding

Beyond just better and accurate weighing for rail cars , the custom scale program we built also offers:

  • Custom Step-by-Step Controls For Guidance: Each scale walks operators through the weighing process, enhancing safety and accuracy. This means fewer errors and safer operations, ultimately boosting productivity and minimizing costly downtime.
  • User-Friendly Touch Screens: With touch-screen interfaces, operators can now easily manage tasks (…even if they’re complex). This makes training simpler and faster, ensuring new staff can get up to speed quickly.
  • More Reliability: Designed to withstand demanding industrial environments, these high-quality scales offer long-term dependability. This ensures fewer maintenance interruptions and reducing downtime.

In other words, no more outdated systems or Windows 98 limitations.

This custom weighing solution offers a future-proof system.

It’s amazing what great teamwork and problem solving can achieve, isn’t it?

Why Choose Wingfield for Railcar Weight Scales?

In conclusion, your business could be next.

At Wingfield, we believe no problem is too challenging.

Here’s why clients choose Wingfield for custom industrial scale programming and design:

Graphic highlighting reasons to choose Wingfield for railcar weighing solutions: experienced team skilled in solving unique weighing problems, custom solutions tailored to clients' needs, and reliable support with quick response and ongoing assistance

Take the First Step Toward Industrial Weighing Solutions Today

If your business has unique weighing needs, don’t settle for a generic solution.

Get in touch with Wingfield for a custom scale programming that meets your exact specifications.

Contact Wingfield today to see how we can solve your toughest weighing challenges.

Frequently Asked Questions

Custom scale programming for railcars means we design software to meet your unique requirements.

Whether you need a specific interface, custom processes, or weighing options, our team can make it happen, so you can optimize your weighing and improve your processes.

Click here to get in touch with us and get a free consultation.

Unlike other companies, we tackle challenges with innovative, custom solutions.

We won’t pass up a project because it’s difficult.

Our team has experience that sets us apart, and we’re committed to our clients’ success.

Our process begins with an in-depth consultation.

From there, we design and implement a solution tailored to your needs. We’ll give you a clear timeline once we understand your unique challenges.

To get started, click here to go to our contact page. Alternatively, you can fill out the quick form at the bottom of this page

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