How to Upgrade an Old Avery Weighbridge to Digital

Many factories, depots and mills in Nigeria still run weighbridges installed decades ago, often Avery mechanical or early electronic models. The steel and concrete may still be strong, but the dials, levers and outdated electronics make weighing slow and hard to control. The good news is that you can usually upgrade old Avery weighbridge to digital operation without throwing away the whole structure.

This guide explains what a digital conversion involves, when it is worth it, and how to plan the work with minimal downtime.

Why convert instead of replacing

Old Avery weighbridges were built with heavy steel and solid foundations. If the deck and pit are still sound, keeping them can save a large share of the cost and time of a brand-new installation.

Converting to digital brings modern benefits:

• Clear digital readings instead of dials and poises.
• Printed tickets for every transaction.
• Data output to a computer or weighbridge software.
• Easier calibration and fault-finding.
• Options for cameras, RFID and remote displays.
• Spare parts that are readily available today.

If your old scale has other problems, such as a failed foundation or an undersized deck, read our guide to weighbridge maintenance and repair to judge whether a full replacement is the better path.

How to upgrade old Avery weighbridge to digital: the main steps

1. Site survey

An engineer inspects the pit, deck, bearing points and existing mechanism. They check whether the foundation is level, whether water collects in the pit, and how the deck is supported. This determines the exact load cell layout.

2. Remove the mechanical linkage

On fully mechanical bridges, the levers, knife-edges and steelyard that carried the load to the dial are removed. The deck is temporarily supported while the old parts come out.

3. Fit load cells and mounts

New load cells are fitted at the bearing points, with mounting plates designed to suit the old structure. Heavy-duty options include the QS-A 30 tonne double-ended shear beam load cell or, for some designs, the 40/50 tonne compression column load cell. Some fabrication is often needed to adapt the bearing points.

Our weighbridge digital upgrade kit brings together 30 t load cells and an indicator for this kind of conversion.

4. Junction box and cabling

Load cell cables run to a sealed junction box, then to the indicator. A stainless steel load cell junction box protects connections from water, a common problem in old pits.

5. Indicator, printer and software

A weighbridge indicator replaces the dial. A model like the XK3190-A9 weighing indicator suits weighbridges, and a 80 mm thermal ticket printer adds printed tickets. Many clients also add software for reports.

6. Calibration and verification

The converted scale is tested with certified test weights and calibrated. For trade use, it needs a Weights and Measures certificate of verification, renewed at least yearly. See our weighbridge calibration service.

Older electronic Avery scales

Not every Avery is mechanical. Some sites have early electronic weighbridges with analogue load cells and older indicators that are now hard to repair. These are often upgraded by:

• Replacing failed load cells with modern equivalents.
• Fitting a new indicator with data output.
• Replacing cables and junction boxes.
• Adding software, printers and remote displays.

The history of these scales is covered in our post on Avery weighbridge repair in Nigeria.

Planning to minimise downtime

Weighing usually stops during conversion, so plan carefully:

• Schedule work for a quieter period, such as outside harvest peaks for agro businesses or during planned plant shutdowns.
• Agree a clear programme with your supplier before work starts.
• Prepare an alternative weighing arrangement if you cannot stop completely.
• Fix pit drainage and civil defects at the same time.

What changes for your operators

After conversion, operators read a clear digital display instead of balancing poises on a steel arm. Weighing is faster, with fewer reading errors and less room for disputes. Staff need short training on the indicator, taring, printing tickets and basic daily checks, such as confirming the scale returns to zero. If you add software, train them on vehicle records and reports too. Keep a simple log of any faults so your service team can spot patterns early.

Is your old weighbridge a good candidate?

Good candidates

• The foundation is level and dry or can be repaired easily.
• The deck is structurally sound, with only surface rust.
• The length and capacity still suit your trucks.

Poor candidates

• The pit floods regularly and cannot be drained.
• The deck is badly corroded or cracked.
• Your trucks are now longer or heavier than the bridge was designed for.

In those cases, a new deck or a complete new weighbridge may be better value over time. Our weighbridge upgrades team can assess both options.

What drives the cost

We do not publish prices online. Cost depends on the number of load cells, the amount of fabrication needed at the bearing points, the indicator and accessories you choose, any civil repairs, and the site location. See the product page for current pricing or request a quote.

Convert with Kira Scales

Kira Scales repairs and upgrades weighbridges of any brand, including Avery, Mettler Toledo, Chinese makes and locally built bridges. Since 2015 we have completed more than 70 weighbridge installations, and our teams travel to all 36 states and the FCT, from Lagos, Ibadan and Onitsha to Kano, Kaduna and Port Harcourt.

To upgrade your old Avery weighbridge, call or WhatsApp +234 803 435 4829, email sales@kirascales.com, or request a quote to book a site survey.