The process of weighing and measuring goods is one of the oldest industries. While innovations in software, sensors, and other digital technologies have made the digital age more convenient than ever before, this has also led to a number of challenges for the future of scales and weighing in general. With technological advancements constantly evolving and new solutions emerging at a faster pace than ever before, it is hard to predict what challenges will arise in the near future. However, based on current trends and recent industry developments, we can expect several changes in the way weights and measurements are handled over the next few years. Here are 4 ways that weighing & measurement will change in the future.
Automated weighing and measurement
Automated systems have the potential to transform the way we handle weights and measurements. While the benefits of automation are clear, we are yet to experience the full potential of this technology. Considering the current state of automation, not all sectors will be able to fully benefit from the advantages of this. In the future, we can expect automated systems to grow in popularity. As the technology improves, we can expect the automation of more and more tasks. At the same time, we can also expect automation to bring its own set of challenges.
In some ways you are seeing how automation has entered the scale industry. When you look at truck scales, or large weigh operations, some are adopting automated kiosks, or smart weighing for ticketing. There is also a push for contactless weighing, for when a truck can enter a weighhouse and sensors mark the arrival and distribute the product accurately. This removes the need for a person to observe, and frees them up to complete other tasks. Even with food processing plants, there are automated checkweighers that help streamline the process.
The adoption of more automated scale technology will benefit the scale owners, by allowing for their workers to tend to other duties, as well as keeping the truck drive safely inside of his truck.
Rise of the Digital age
The rise of digitalisation is expected to continue. While digitalisation has revolutionized many sectors, it has also brought along its fair share of challenges. Things are expected to get even more challenging as the world moves further towards automation. The fact that digital assets are not always easy to transfer or exchange poses a challenge.
With a lot of truck scale companies going digital, there is a push to move away from the more antiquated ways of operating. Digital load cells and indicators with a digital screen are quickly becoming the standard. You also have ways to remotely track scale performance, allowing for the scale technician or whomever to track the data while tending to other duties. The rise of the digital era has essentially changed the way we view everything. Scale manufacturers are also adopting the digital age, by making their literature easily accessible from a computer or phone. This means if there is an issue with the scale that you need to troubleshoot, then there is most likely a guide for your specific scale online. The scale industry are just one of the many industries that have completely transformed in every way.
weighing the benfits of Blockchains
Blockchains are in some ways still new to a lot of people, but they have been present for a little bit now. And they are being used in many industries, mainly shipping and logistics. Blockchain enables smooth and integrated communication across complex supply chains.
In this way, it improves trust, security and speed. It can even be used to create platforms where logistics service providers offer free capacity in trucks or ships in real time.
The usage of blockchain-based solutions is expected to grow. The blockchain is more than a single technology — it is a framework that is used to build many different applications. The blockchain’s ability to automatically record and track data has made it one of the most popular technologies in the market. Several industries have started using the blockchain for their solutions. The many applications of the blockchain make it an ideal solution for a range of future challenges.
This technology is still a bit foreign to a lot of people, but is being used throughout companies like Oracle, Microsoft and IBM among others. When it comes to keeping track of inventory, shipments and payments. With blockchain support, it greatly affects the logistics industry in the way ledgers are managed, to the way shippers are paid. There are a lot of logistics companies using blockchain technology to keep track of their complex schedules, transactions and inventory.
AI supported smart solutions will emerge
AI has come a long way in the past few years. This is expected to continue as more businesses move towards incorporating AI into their processes. AI-based smart solutions are expected to emerge over the next few years. This can be used to automate a range of processes. At the same time, it can also be used to help businesses manage their operations more efficiently.
We already have AI winning art contests and writing music and winning awards. AI is very beneficial for simplifying and streamlining many different processes. Being able to program the parameters into a computer will greatly reduce issues like human error. AI is transforming the weighing processes, such as collecting and analyzing information from the scale, truck load cells, etc. It also analyzes inventory processes, enabling companies to increase efficiency and boost revenues. In warehousing, AI is used to make demand predictions, modify orders, and reroute products in transit. Having the ability to analyze in realtime if a vehicle is overloaded, will greatly reduce fines with the state weights and measures organization. AI will definitely be used more an more as the technology advances.
Conclusion
The future of measuring and handling goods is expected to be interesting times for the industry. With constant advancements in technology, it is not surprising to see many changes in the way we handle weights & measurements. Automated systems are expected to grow in popularity. At the same time, the usage of blockchain is expected to grow. AI-supported smart solutions are also expected to emerge. The future of measuring and handling goods looks to be very exciting.
At American Scale we strive to bring you informed and useful content on all things scale systems related, including products from the top scale manufacturers. Be sure to check out our truck scale articles about truck scale foundation or how much do truck scales cost. We even have a guide to warranties. To learn more about bench scales, it would be good to check out our other articles such as “Bench Scale Basics'' and “How Much Does A Bench Scale Cost?”. These articles will help with the basics of bench scale ownership. Also, take a look at our“Common Problems With Bench Scales'', to help prolong the lifespan on your scale.