Payload management in quarries is crucial for improving productivity, reducing operational costs and enhancing equipment longevity by preventing overloads and underloads. In light of this, KwaZulu-Natal-based Blurock Quarries and Midmar Crushers place value on payload management technology, which saw them purchase the VEI systems from DWS.
Midmar Crushers first installed a HelperX in 2014 on a Volvo L120 wheel loader, before taking delivery of a Millennium 5 for a Komatsu WA480 wheel loader in 2017. Blurock Quarries also took delivery of Millennium 5 units for its Bell wheel loaders, initially in 2014 and later in 2020, before installing a HelperM on a backhoe loader operating at its block and precast operation in 2024.
Commenting on what makes these units tick, Ivan van Heerden, MD of DWS, the local supplier of the VEI systems in Africa, says the units have a variety of functions, not least the ability to be able to seamlessly switch from split trailer target-weighing for side tippers and then to incremental-weighing for single trailers.
“The units also do not require input from the operator in order to totalise the load. Product loading and customer selection are very easy. An additional feature is that if the specific gravity of the product is known, one can get both the cubic volume and the tonnes of the loaded product,” explains Van Heerden.
In addition, DWS also offers a three-year warranty on all systems. A key feature is that all the VEI head units can be upgraded via a simple software upgrade. For example, a customer can start with the cost-effective HelperM unit on a small wheel loader. In the event that they upgrade their wheel loader, DWS can upgrade the system to a Millennium 5 or HelperX for the price difference of the units. “If the customer has a Millennium 5 and they need more data handling, they can move to the HelperX without having to change the system,” says Van Heerden.
Accurate loading
Derryn Fourie, director at Midmar Crushers, was first introduced to VEI systems when the quarry purchased a new Volvo L120 wheel loader and needed it to be equipped with a load weighing system. At the time, Midmar Crushers had been using competitor products on existing machines and Fourie and his team wanted to compare the units with the VEI system in terms of performance and ease of use. Of particular importance to Midmar was also the backup service that would come with the solution.
“Fast forward to 2025, and several VEI systems later, I am happy to report that not only is the original system still operating without a single component failure, but the newer unit, installed in 2017, is as good as, if not better, than the first one,” says Fourie.
In terms of service, he adds, the three-year warranty that comes with these units has never been needed and when there is a problem, it has been rapidly resolved over the phone. The few times that DWS has been needed on site have been mostly for training.
“DWS also shows us how to maintain the accuracy of the systems so we can check and tweak calibrations as needed without having to wait for an expensive service call out,” says Fourie, adding that the operation and performance of the VEI system is “something to write home about”. The zero-point calibration, he adds, is a simple, quick push of a button. The unit also totalises the product automatically, with minimal operator intervention required. The tip-off functionality is rapid and accurate.
Ridding losses
Jeremy Hunter-Smith, CEO of Blurock Quarries, says in quarrying operations, having loaded trucks return to the stockpile from a weighbridge due to overloading or underloading is a traditional loss factor through wasted time and fuel. With that in mind, Blurock Quarries has always placed value on payload management systems.
“We were previously using a different onboard weighing product for several years, but when we had a recommendation for the VEI system, we decided to give DWS, the local supplier, a chance to showcase the capabilities of its products,” says Hunter-Smith.
“The whole process, from quotation to installation, was seamless and professional. Once the installation was complete, the unit appeared like OEM equipment, rather than an aftermarket product. Our operator was super keen to give the new scale a try,” he says, adding that calibration was a simple five-minute process and “the training provided was top notch as DWS believes that its product is only as good as the training the client receives”.
Once the training was done, DWS provided a real-life demonstration of why quarries cannot just rely on their weighbridges. The company had just used the weighbridge to calibrate the wheel loader. However, there were still discrepancies between the loader weights and those of the weighbridge. DWS returned immediately to check the calibration. Again, all appeared to be in order until the first truck was loaded.
“DWS then suggested we weigh the loader at three different points of the deck. We discovered a 300 kg difference between the two ends of the deck. It is important to note that the weighbridge itself had just been calibrated, but due to poor maintenance and cleaning under the weighbridge, it gave false readings across different points of the deck. The error would have amounted to many tonnes of un-invoiced product over the course of a year,” says Hunter-Smith.
Being trained on how to keep the unit at peak efficiency is also a major plus for Blurock Quarries as the quarry cannot risk either the potential loss of revenue or the downtime related to waiting for a technician to arrive, with subsequent call-out costs. The three-year warranty on all parts is also extremely valuable for Blurock Quarries, although Hunter-Smith confirms that there has never been a need for it.
“We have subsequently put the smaller VEI HelperM on a backhoe loader operating at our Precast Products yard with huge success,” says Hunter-Smith. “I always joke with DWS that their products should be less robust, so that we can buy more of them!”
Proven capabilities
According to Van Heerden, VEI pioneered hydraulic-based onboard weighing in 1985. Its products to date can be found across industries, including mining, recycling and agricultural applications, to name a few. “A total of 94 countries and over 55 000 units operating in the field give VEI an unmatched global footprint, coupled with the research and development that this exposure enables,” says Van Heerden.
According to Fourie, fast, accurate loading of trucks is paramount for quarries, where time and margins are tight. “The VEI systems supplied by DWS have paid for themselves many times over and we look forward to a continued relationship with them,” concludes Fourie.
