AAI – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia performed extensive market research and learned that GEC manufactures precision aircraft weighing solutions for both commercial and military aircraft, while being known for supplying aircraft scales having the most reliable and accurate technologies. AAI performed due-diligence on the organization and leadership before contacting GEC to discuss a weighing solution for their new military program. AAI expressed their desire for an OEM partner who could quickly deliver a highly accurate, aircraft weighing system for AWACS, (B707’s), KC-130’s and other similarly configured military aircraft. After discussing the different aircraft configurations, weighing equipment technologies, calibration processes and total cost of ownership, GEC landed as their top choice.
AAI’s mass properties engineering team went deep and wide to evaluate GEC’s piezo-sensor technology, comparing it to the competitor’s shear beam technology. AAI spoke to multiple customers who had both shear beam loadcell scales and AN60z’s for longer than 7 years and found exceptional feedback on GEC’s AN60z’s. In their discovery, AAI quickly realized the millivolt output of a piezo-sensor is 4 times greater than that of shear beam (shear sense technology) loadcells, meaning greater overall scale accuracy and reliability than the competition’s scale with electronic loadcells. Experiments reflect that the competitor’s platform scale using shear beam loadcells do not negate side loads often experienced with aircraft weight and balance. While competitors claim their design measures side loading, the mass properties engineer’s team quickly saw through the propaganda. Shear beam loadcells can ONLY accurately measure “true vertical” loads.
Moreover, the competitor’s scales suffered a severe overloading of the individual shear beam loadcells upon aircraft entry and exit of the scales causing zero shift and zero return issues. This required costly re-weighs and shortened scale calibration intervals, which greatly added to the overall cost of ownership and loss of production hours. AAI took delivery of both systems in late 2024 and stated plans to acquire two additional systems from GEC in 2025. To learn more about GEC’s Highly Accurate AN60z and other aircraft weighing solutions, go to www.gecscales.com