Conveyor Volume Scanner
Dust-immune radar-based conveyor volume measurement for asphalt,
recycled asphalt, aggregate, and portable crushing operations.
Built for Real-World Aggregate & Asphalt Plants
Traditional conveyor volume scanners struggle in the exact environments where production matters most: recycled asphalt dust, steam, moisture, dirty optics, material buildup, belt vibration, pulley slip, and harsh outdoor conditions.
The MacLeod Services Conveyor Volume Scanner was designed specifically to solve those problems using industrial radar sensing and high-resolution encoder tracking.
Radar sensing is the key difference. Unlike optical scanners, radar does not rely on a clean lens, clear air, or ideal visibility to maintain stable measurement performance in dusty production environments.
Why This System Is Different
Radar — Not Optical
Most competing systems rely on laser scanners, LiDAR, 3D cameras, or optical time-of-flight sensors. These technologies depend on a clear optical path.
Dust-Resistant Measurement
Radar sensing avoids the dirty-window and point-cloud degradation issues common with optical scanners in asphalt and aggregate environments.
Lower Maintenance
Because the system is not dependent on a clean optical window, it reduces cleaning requirements and improves uptime during active production.
Commercial System Comparison
High-Resolution Conveyor Tracking
Many competing systems estimate conveyor movement using drive pulley RPM, proximity switches, low-resolution pulse systems, or assumed belt speed.
The MacLeod system directly measures actual belt travel using a high-resolution industrial encoder mounted on the tail shaft. This captures real belt motion and helps compensate for head pulley slip and changes in conveyor loading.
True Belt Travel
Tail-shaft encoder measurement captures actual conveyor movement instead of relying on estimated speed.
High Resolution
Approximately 10,000 counts per revolution provides accurate distance tracking for volume integration.
Improved Accuracy
Better belt travel measurement improves tons-per-hour, daily total, and monthly total accuracy.
Multi-Sensor Cross-Section Measurement
The system continuously measures the conveyor material profile using three industrial radar sensors. Cross-sectional area is calculated and multiplied by conveyor distance for continuous slice-by-slice volume accumulation.
Measurement method: Cross-sectional area × conveyor distance. This produces stable and repeatable volumetric measurement without relying on a single height point.
Industrial Control & Reporting
Industrial PLC Platform
Built around the Opto 22 groov EPIC platform for industrial reliability and long-term serviceability.
Persistent Totals
Daily, monthly, and running totals are retained through power interruptions.
Remote Data Options
Supports Modbus TCP, OPC UA, cellular connectivity, cloud reporting, and remote telemetry integration.
Typical Applications
Recycled Asphalt Plants
Designed for dusty, sticky, high-contamination production environments.
Portable Crushing Spreads
Well suited for mobile operations with cellular backhaul and remote reporting.
Aggregate
Provides continuous production monitoring and daily/monthly inventory tracking.
Contact Me
Contact me and let’s discuss getting your plant to Industry 4.0. Don't be left behind.
Member Control Systems Integrator Association
CSIA
Roanoke, VA, USA
