Dutch lifting equipment rental company Hef & Hijs Nederland BV is contributing to increased uptake in Straightpoint load cells from the Benelux region having switched to the UK manufacturer from an alternative supplier almost four years ago.
Hef & Hijs Nederland BV is part of Abird Hoisting & Lifting and sources force measurement, load monitoring and suspended weighing equipment from Straightpoint’s Holland distributor, Van Gool. Mike Tilly, product specialist, Hef & Hijs Nederland, explained why. “We have been working with Van Gool since start-up in early 2004 but in 2012 we decided to switch to Straightpoint; we’ve never looked back,” he said.
Tilly said the products are particularly suited to marine applications because of high performance where alternative technology has fallen short of expectations. For example, he cited issues with the battery compartment and resulting water damage in previous experience. Hef & Hijs also utilizes the diversity of the Straightpoint range and has supplied load cells for applications on a myriad of projects this year alone, including shipping, petrochemistry, transshipment, civil construction, steel fabrication, offshore and crane rental. Tilly anticipates continued increase in demand. “I have seen an increase for the last three years and expect to see it growing next year and beyond because more and more companies want to measure and monitor their equipment and loads,” he said.
Pieter van Duijn, commercial director at Van Gool, added: “We expect interest in the technology to continue to grow in our region.” Tilly, who frequently places orders with Van Gool for wireless compression load cells up to 500t capacity, is also a pioneer for continued improvement of product and best practice. “I remember questioning why the wireless compression load cell didn’t originally use the same telemetry equipment as the Radiolink Plus and I feel honoured that my comments were taken onboard by the manufacturer and incorporated into the new wireless compression range,” he said.
Straightpoint wireless compression load cells are manufactured from stainless steel with a lightweight aluminium jacket and with a load centring domed top. They can also be supplied with optional load-cap to protect the item being weighed. Data transmission is handled by the manufacturer’s wireless system, providing high integrity, error-free transmission of data via the latest in IEEE 802.15.4 (2.4 GHz) technology, capable of a license-free transmission range of up to 250m or 800 feet.
