The INTECONT Tersus is the generation of Schenck belt weigher integrator after the INTECONT Plus, and it’s on a lot of Australian conveyors. When it raises an event, the message tells you which part of the system stopped making sense, not what broke. Most of the time the cause is on the belt, in a junction box, in a sensor or in the setup data, not in the box on the wall.
This guide covers the event messages we see most, what a calibration involves, and why the zero and span move. We service the whole Schenck scale: frame, idlers, load cells, speed sensor and electronics. For bookings, parts and replacement enquiries, see Schenck belt weigher and INTECONT Tersus servicing.
What is the INTECONT Tersus, and how is it different from a Plus?
It’s the Schenck weighing electronics that followed the INTECONT Plus, with a graphic display and different menus and options. On a belt weigher it does the same job as any integrator: it multiplies belt loading by belt speed to give a rate in t/h and a running total. What it can connect to depends on the options fitted and the software loaded, so record the full model, software version and fitted options before you order anything. The Tersus product page shows the configurations we supply.
If you’re replacing a Plus with a Tersus, the terminals can look similar, but it isn’t a straight swap. The wiring, speed input and settings all need checking, and the old parameters can’t just be copied across. It needs setting up and commissioning properly.
What do the common INTECONT Tersus event messages mean?
Photograph the full message, including its text, code and class, and write down the software version and what the conveyor was doing when it appeared. Codes can differ between software versions and INTECONT generations, so the words on your screen matter more than a number looked up for another unit. Then work through it like this:
| Message type | What we check first | When to call us |
|---|---|---|
| Load cell input out of range | Water in the junction box, cable damage, loose terminals, something touching or binding the frame, then the excitation reaching the cells. | If it comes back after the box is dried out and resealed and the frame is free. |
| No speed, or irregular speed | Is the wheel turning? Seized bearing, lost belt contact, cable, and whether the sensor suits the input that’s set up. | If the sensor turns and the cable checks out but there’s still no signal. |
| Speed out of range | Time a marked length of belt against the displayed speed. More than about 2% out needs investigating. | If the belt speed is right and the reading still isn’t. |
| Zero correction refused or overdue | Is the belt really empty? Clean the frame and idlers, check nothing is binding, then re-zero over whole belt revolutions. | If it comes straight back after a proper clean. |
| Belt monitoring event | The belt monitoring sensors fitted to your conveyor, then the belt itself: tracking, damage and splices. | If the belt checks out and the event keeps coming back. |
| Communications timeout | Network or serial cabling, plugs, the protocol settings and the PLC mapping. Check whether the local display is still updating. | If the local readings are fine but the PLC still isn’t getting them. |
| Simulation or test mode active | Which test function is switched on and what it’s standing in for. Nothing weighed in this mode counts as production tonnes. | If you didn’t expect it to be on, or it won’t switch off. |
Events can be wired into plant interlocks, so acknowledging one can start or stop other equipment. Follow your site’s procedure before you reset anything. Resetting over and over hides the evidence without fixing anything: if the same event keeps coming back, the condition never went away.
What does an INTECONT Tersus calibration involve?
Work on or near a conveyor, or inside an electrical enclosure, needs isolation under your site’s procedures and trained, authorised people. If that’s not you, stop and call us on 1300 101 666.
First, the setup data has to match the scale in front of you: load cell capacity and sensitivity, effective weigh length, frame geometry, units and speed. Entering those numbers is setup, not proof the scale is right. Then it’s the same order as any belt weigher:
- Record the as-found condition. Save the settings and note recent results and symptoms before anyone touches anything.
- Inspect the scale. Weigh idlers in line with the idlers either side (typically within about 0.3 mm; the exact target depends on the scale), the frame free to move, the belt tracking centrally, sensors and wiring sound.
- Check belt speed and length. After a belt change or a new splice, re-measure both, re-enter them and recalibrate.
- Zero on a clean, empty belt over whole belt revolutions, not a few seconds.
- Span against a known load: test weights, a calibration chain or a material test, whichever suits the scale. On a fully suspended frame, test weights read the same wherever they sit. On a pivoted or lever frame, use the designated points.
- Record the as-left figures and anything still limiting the result.
The numbers we work to: repeat span runs within about 0.1%, and a routine span that has moved more than about 0.25% needs attention. On lever or inclined frames, the lever ratio and incline correction follow that frame’s own geometry, not a figure borrowed from another scale.
Tare and the operational zero do different jobs on a Tersus and have their own limits. Don’t widen a limit to make a calibration pass. If you’re running a material test, check the low-flow cut-off and other totalising settings first so the test counts every tonne, and record any setting you change.
Who adjusts what. On our service visits we adjust the zero and span when the checks show it’s needed. Between visits, site should run a zero about every two weeks and after a big change in the weather, and check the span but record it rather than accepting it. We recommend a service calibration every quarter so the scale keeps up with the seasons. See belt weigher calibration methods and what happens during a calibration visit.
Why does the zero or span move on a Tersus?
Almost always because something physical changed in the weigh area: build-up on the frame or idlers, a seized or dragging idler, a binding frame, belt tracking or tension changes, or water in a junction box. After a proper clean, a one-off zero change of around 1% is normal. A zero that keeps walking after cleaning and alignment needs investigating, not re-zeroing. A new belt usually takes a week or two to bed in, so check the zero after the belt work and again once it has settled.
A span that has shifted usually has a physical cause too: a new belt or splice without the speed and length re-entered, a weigh idler knocked out of line, or setup data that’s been changed. Damaged sensors, moisture, electrical noise and supply problems also show up this way, so don’t rule out the electronics just because the display looks healthy. See why a belt weigher zero drifts.
What speed sensor and load cell points matter?
Speed. The Tersus speed input takes a NAMUR or a PNP sensor, and an NPN sensor won’t work on it. Check which input is set up before you connect a spare. Grease the speed sensor bearings monthly. We can supply a replacement, including our own USR speed sensor, and we’ll confirm it suits your input before it goes on. More in our belt weigher speed sensors guide.
Load cells. Schenck’s specification lists AC excitation for the Tersus load cell input, so a meter set to DC will give you a misleading reading. The integrator’s raw readings are a good starting point, but they can’t tell a wet terminal from a damaged cell. See is it the load cell, the cable or the junction box?
How does the Tersus talk to the plant?
Through whatever outputs and fieldbus options are fitted. Treat the Ethernet service connection and the plant communications as two separate things: on the configurations we supply, an Ethernet port for service doesn’t mean Modbus TCP is included. When you’re specifying or replacing a unit, confirm the protocol, the fitted hardware and software options, the PLC mapping and the output scaling.
When the PLC and the local display disagree, the local display is the reference: check the output scaling, wiring and how old the data in the PLC is. EasyServe is the manufacturer’s service software. Check your version suits the installed unit, and save the existing configuration before anyone changes anything. See getting belt weigher data into your PLC or SCADA.
Need a manual for your equipment?
Have the full model, serial number, software version and application ready. The operating manual explains the functions; the installation data and wiring drawings explain your particular scale, and you need both.
Talk to us about manuals for your equipment. Send the make, model, serial number and software version (a photo of the label is fine) and we’ll help you find the right document.
When should you call us rather than keep resetting it?
Call when an event comes straight back after a reset, the zero won’t repeat after a proper clean, readings changed after a part was replaced, or the local display and the control room disagree. Note the exact messages and the as-found figures before you reset anything. Send photos to admin@accurateindustries.com.au, use the contact form, or call 1300 101 666. See booking a belt weigher service.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Tersus replace an INTECONT Plus?
Yes, once the frame, sensors, speed input, mounting, supply and plant connections have been checked. It needs proper setup and commissioning, not a copy of the old parameters. If the Plus still repeats and parts are available, there’s no need to rush.
Does a working display mean the scale is accurate?
No. A believable rate can still be wrong because of speed scaling, a binding frame, a zero error or setup data. Only a check against a known load shows how the scale is really weighing.
Why does the Tersus show no speed when the belt is running?
Usually the speed sensor: a seized bearing, lost belt contact, a damaged cable, or a sensor that doesn’t suit the input that’s set up. The tonnes are wrong the whole time it lasts, so get it looked at.
Is a maintenance calibration the same as trade verification?
No. This guide covers maintenance calibration. If the scale is used for trade, tell us when you book so the right verification scope can be confirmed.
Technical reference: Qlar INTECONT Tersus mass-flow measurement datasheet, BV-D2407 EN V1. This general specification doesn’t replace the operating instructions for the installed hardware and software. Plant communications must be confirmed for the quoted configuration.