HSW Series
Silo Weighing
Load-cell-based silo weighing for bulk material inventory — real-time stock levels by weight, not level estimate.
- Capacity range
- 20–100 T
- Category
- Tank & Silo Weighing
- Technical details
- Available below
Manufacturing
Built, installed & supported by HMT
Compliance support
Calibration & Legal Metrology guidance
System ready
Automation, ticketing & ERP integration
01Overview
The same load-cell-under-each-leg principle as tank weighing, sized for silo structures and bulk solids. Gives an accurate real-time inventory figure that a level sensor alone can't provide, since bulk material density varies with moisture and compaction.
02How it works
Why level estimates fail for bulk solids
A level sensor in a silo measures how high the material pile sits, but bulk solids don't behave like a liquid settling to a flat surface — the material forms a cone at its angle of repose, can bridge or rat-hole (form a hollow void inside an apparently full silo), and its bulk density shifts with moisture content and how tightly it's compacted from vibration and its own weight over time. Any one of those factors can make a level-based volume reading badly misrepresent the actual mass of material inside.
The same leg-mounted load cell principle as tank weighing
Silo weighing uses compression load cells mounted at each support leg, exactly the same underlying principle as tank weighing — the difference is scale and structural detail, since silo legs typically carry more concentrated load and the structure often sees more wind loading and thermal expansion than a tank's support structure.
Free-floating mounts avoid binding
A silo structure expands and contracts measurably with temperature swings across a day or a season, and sways slightly under wind load. Free-floating connections in the mounting design let the structure move without that movement binding against the load cells or introducing false strain readings — a rigid connection would either resist that natural movement (stressing the structure) or introduce reading errors from the strain it creates.
03Manufacturing & build quality
Mounting kits are fabricated from stainless steel and engineered specifically around each silo leg's structural geometry and expected load range, with free-floating connection details designed into the mount to accommodate thermal expansion and minor structural sway without transmitting that movement into the load cell as a false reading. Compression load cells are matched and calibrated as a set for the specific installation before shipping. Because silo installations frequently involve retrofitting an existing structure rather than a new build, mounting kits are typically engineered to the as-built dimensions of the specific silo leg configuration, and the summing and trim setup in the junction box is configured to the number of legs in that installation.
04Problems it solves
Over- or under-ordering raw material
Inaccurate level-based inventory estimates lead to either running short unexpectedly or over-ordering to compensate for uncertainty — real-time weight-based inventory removes that guesswork from procurement planning.
Bridging and rat-holing misreads
A silo that's bridged or rat-holed can show a healthy level reading while actually holding far less usable material than it appears to — weight measurement isn't fooled by the shape the material happens to have settled into.
Structural stress from rigid mounting
A mounting design that doesn't account for thermal expansion and structural sway can introduce ongoing stress into both the silo structure and the load cells themselves — free-floating connections are specifically there to prevent that.
Manual dip-stick or visual inventory checks
Where inventory is checked by physically climbing the silo or estimating by eye, a continuous real-time weight reading removes both the labor and the imprecision of that manual process.
05Why it matters
Production planning for anything that consumes bulk material out of a silo — cement, grain, plastics pellets, chemical powders — runs on the assumption that the inventory figure is real. When that figure is actually a level-based estimate distorted by bridging or moisture-driven density change, a plant can discover a shortfall mid-production, or over-order and tie up capital and storage space unnecessarily. Weight-based silo measurement gives production planning a number it can actually trust, and the free-floating mount design means that accuracy holds up over years of thermal cycling and wind exposure rather than degrading as the structure naturally moves.
06Salient features
- 3- or 4-point load cell mounting per silo leg
- Real-time inventory by weight, not estimated level
- Stainless steel mounts, free-floating connections to avoid binding
07Specifications
| Model | Capacity (T) | Least Count | Platform Size (m) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSW-20 | 20 | — | — | Per-leg capacity |
| HSW-50 | 50 | — | — | Per-leg capacity |
| HSW-100 | 100 | — | — | Per-leg capacity, heavy bulk storage |
08Technical file
Need the full technical sheet?
Request drawings, model-specific details and project documentation from the HMT team. A downloadable product file will appear here once approved.
09Complete system
Plan beyond the deck.
A vehicle weighing point can combine the weighbridge with indicator, load cells, traffic management and H-Weigh software for an accountable end-to-end workflow.
08In the field
09Frequently asked
How many mounting points does a typical silo need?
Most silo installations use 3 or 4 load cell mounting points per structure, matching the number of legs — the right configuration depends on the silo's specific structural design.
Can this be retrofitted onto a silo we already have installed?
Yes, this is a common application — mounting kits are engineered to the as-built dimensions of the existing leg structure rather than requiring a new silo.
How is the system calibrated for an accurate reading?
Typically using the silo's known empty weight plus test weights or a verified quantity of material, trimmed across the mounting points via the junction box until readings are consistent across the fill range.
Does wind load affect accuracy?
The free-floating mount design is specifically engineered to let the structure move under wind load without that movement registering as a false weight change — this is a key part of what distinguishes a properly engineered silo weighing retrofit from a naive rigid installation.
Can it integrate with our plant's inventory management system?
The weight reading can typically be output to a plant inventory or ERP system over standard industrial communication interfaces, confirmed against your specific system's requirements during planning.
10Industries this serves
Ready to spec a silo weighing?
Tell us the application — our team responds with model recommendations, not a generic brochure.