A TMR mixer works under conditions no commercial scale would survive: constant vibration, loading impact, dust, water and temperature swings through the day. Load cells take all of it — and the drift they accumulate gives no warning.
Because the ration is formulated on that weight, the error spreads across the whole operation: at the feed mill, in the mix, in delivery and at the bunk.
Why this actually costs money
Feed is the largest cost in a feedlot. Every control in the operation — feed conversion, cost of gain, projected performance — assumes the recorded weight is the real weight.
- The formulated ration stops being the ration you deliver. The nutritionist calculated one thing; the animal got another.
- The reports lie precisely. The system shows coherent numbers calculated on a wrong weight. A consistent error is more dangerous than an obvious one, because nobody questions it.
- The next decision starts crooked. Ration adjustments, slaughter projections and cost closing all come from contaminated data.
The worst case is not the scale breaking. It is the scale appearing to work fine, drifting silently, for months.
How often to calibrate
Every 3 months is the right interval.
That cadence keeps drift under control in normal feedlot routine. But the calendar is not the only rule — bring the check forward whenever there is:
- A load cell replacement
- An impact or collision involving the mixer
- Structural maintenance
- Any sign of inconsistent readings
Signs the scale needs calibration
- Weight that does not return to zero after unloading
- Reading that drifts while the mixer is stopped
- Gap between what the system called for and what the operator could actually load
- Weight that changes when the tractor is switched on or off
- Disagreement between the mixer scale and the truck scale
- Recurring ingredient shortfall or leftover at the end of the day
- Reading that changes with the position of the load inside the mixer
A single one of these justifies a check, even if the 3 months are not up yet.
What BULLTECN does during calibration
The service has three stages. None of them works alone — it is the combination that restores confidence in the weight.
1. Setup matched to the load cell model
Every load cell model has its own characteristics. The indicator must be configured for the cell actually installed on the mixer — beyond the weight unit, display increment and maximum capacity. Calibrating on a wrong setup means calibrating on a wrong basis: the work will have to be redone.
2. Data transmission speed from cell to indicator
The load cell sends readings to the indicator, and the speed of that transmission has to be matched to the mixer type and the way the operation uses it. The wrong setting produces unstable readings, drift and slow weight settling during loading — problems easily mistaken for a faulty scale, which they are not.
3. Calibration verified against a known weight
Verification is done against a known reference weight. And here is a clarification that saves the feedlot money:
You do not need to buy a certified test weight.
Verification can be done with what the feedlot already has in stock — bagged supplement of known weight, for instance. What determines calibration quality is not the cost of the reference, it is the correct procedure.
How the CAL factor works
CAL is the calibration factor stored in the scale indicator. Once setup is correct, the adjustment follows this logic:
- Place the known reference weight in the mixer
- Note the weight shown on the display
- Note the indicator's current CAL
- Calculate the new factor
- Write the new CAL to the indicator
Always confirm with a second weighing. After writing the new CAL, weigh the reference again. If the reading still does not match, the problem is not the calibration factor — it is the load cell, cabling, connector or mounting. At that point it is repair, not calibration.
We service any feedlot
You do not need to have bought equipment from us. We provide calibration and field service in feedlots across Brazil, regardless of where the equipment was purchased.