c-trace has secured its first contract with a local authority after providing Guildford Borough Council with certified dynamic bin-weighing and identification systems for five trade-waste collection vehicles.
The c-trace system enables the local authority to manage its collection of trade waste in the Guildford more efficiently and even charge its customers based on the weight of waste collected.
It works by weighing the bin as it is lifted and compares this to the weight of the empty bin as it is lowered. It takes multiple measurements on each stage of the cycle without slowing the process down so maximimum productivity is maintained.
Trade waste bins will be fitted with c-trace radio-frequency identification chips (RFID), each providing a unique ID for each bin. And the bin lifts are fitted with antennas to read the chips as the bin is lifted to determine which customer owns it.
In Guildford, the system has been fitted to five Geesinknorba refuse collection vehicles (RCVs) fitted with L200 trade lifts. And the ID and weight data is sent to a Bartec Auto ID onboard order management computer and then transferred to a Bartec back office system where bills are prepared.
Ian Martin, c-trace's UK sales director, said: 'We're delighted to have provided Guildford Borough Council with our system and must commend them on the the great dialogue and clear objectives they were able to give us.
'c-trace is highly flexible and can deliver complete systems with our own software or provide an interface with existing suppliers, in this case Bartec, who were very helpful and easy to work with. The system was fitted while the vehicles were still at the Geesinknorba factory in the Netherlands.
'Guildford, like many of our UK customers, uses both steel and plastic trade waste containers which makes a difference to the type of chips fitted to them but our chips are designed with both in mind.
'This contract represents a milestone for us. We are a German-based company ' the European leaders in suppling ID chips for all sorts of containers and our weighing and ID systems and are now fitted to more than 2,500 vehicles across Europe, the Middle East and also in Australia.
'But we only entered the UK market four years ago and, although we quickly established a broad customer base among private operators, this is the first time we've entered a contact directly with a local authority. We're now prepared to bid for more'
