| 9 Rotorua Business Awards - SI Lodec Leaders in weighing T T Hugh de Lacy SI Lodec is regarded as the country’s leading supplier of electronic weighing systems. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Helping forestry truckers to adhere to legal weight load requirements was what prompted Ian Patchell to set up his company, SI Lodec, in 1995. The company, which won the Innovation and Technology award at the 2023 Tompkins Wake Rotorua Business Awards, markets a wide range of imported electronic weighing technology. The range now includes weighbridges, but in the early days it was the company’s on-board weighing systems that Ian says endeared themselves to forestry truckers in particular. “Logs vary in size and weight and the operators had to guess the log weight,” Ian says. “By having an on-board weigh system the operators knew exactly what size the last log or two needed to be for the load to stay under the legal limits. “Also, logs carry water in their bark, and when trucks were loaded dry in the bush and it rained between there and the highway, a load could weigh up to a tonne heavier.” Ian formed SI Lodec NZ Ltd in 1995 and his on-board scales met an eager market from truckers. Typically a client commissioning a new truck and trailer unit today will bring SI Lodec aboard to collaborate with the manufacturer, integrating the wiring and fittings into the construction phase. “Some manufacturers even install our product independently,” Ian says. Where an existing truck is due for a retrofit, the process can be organised to minimise downtime, even to the point of weekend installations. With premises in Rotorua and Christchurch, allowing it to supply and service both islands, SI Lodec has its own dedicated in-house research-and-development division that conceives, tests and perfects solutions to meet out-of-the-ordinary requirements for a diverse range of truck and weighbridge configurations. This extends to customised load-cells and systems for unusual applications. The company’s big range of weighbridges boasts standard dimensions from 6m to 36m, and with a capacity of up to 80 tonnes, though that can be raised much higher if necessary. The weighbridges feature modular removeable panels and state-of-the-art welding techniques. The designs ensure immense strength, wear resistance and perfect panel alignment, with each panel crafted from 6mm U-shaped beams, crowned with an 8mm checker plate to ensure optimal vehicle traction. The weighbridges can be seamlessly integrated atop existing hard surfaces, or can be pit-mounted, whichever suits the application. SI Lodec customises its electronic components so the client can pick just the features that suit their immediate needs, while retaining the flexibility to incorporate additional features as the further need arises. All the weighbridges are equipped with IP68-rated hermetically sealed stainless steel load cells, allowing the production of the market’s lowest-profile designs, and all the electronics are backed up by local round-theclock support throughout New Zealand. The company is regarded as the country’s acknowledged leading supplier of electronic weighing systems with an expansive range of options that can be tailored to any particular requirements. “Since our foundation we’ve been dedicated to curating and producing products precisely designed to meet the unique demands of our highly diversified customer base,” Ian says. “We assembled a collection of elite systems and avant-garde technologies procured from around the world, and backed up by our unparalleled knowledge and commitment to customer satisfaction. “To our knowledge we’re the only weigh systems company in New Zealand with a full-time R&D technician on our roster, and he’s been instrumental in forging our SiRITS wireless remote application, and setting new standards of advancement in weighbridge electronics design.” PROUD SUPPORTERS OF SI LODEC NZ LTD PH: 03 768 0218 DARREN: 021 310 453 EMAIL: ADMIN@MBDCONTRACTING.CO.NZ MBD CONTRACTING LTD - 50 ARNEY STREET, PO BOX 114, GREYMOUTH, 7840 MBD is proud to support SI Lodec
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