What is a Load Cell & How Does It Work?

Load cells are the key components of weighing systems and industrial scales. They sense the weights in different forms like tension, compression, shear, and torque. They can be used in a wide range of applications in various industries like food processing, aeronautics, manufacturing, packaging, and many more. Learn about them in this article.

Contact Instruments’ Compression Load Cells



How They Work

A load cell is a transducer that is used to create an electrical signal whose magnitude is directly proportional to the force being measured. The transducer converts the force being measured into an electrical signal that can then be used in a control system or data acquisition system. The generated signal can be digital or analog depending on the type of load cell in use. Load cells are typically made from metals such as steel or aluminum because these materials have good strength and stiffness properties.

Common Types of Load Cells

The three most commonly used load cells are tension load cells, compression load cells, and strain gauge load cells. A compression load cell is just like a simple weighing scale and measures the downward forces. For applications with limited spaces, these are perfect. On the other hand tension Load, Cells do the exact opposite and quantifies the pull forces. Some examples of this include power tongs, and hopper weight indicators.

The strain gauge load cell uses four strain gauges wired in a Wheatstone bridge configuration to measure force. A force applied to the surface of the load cell causes deformation, which in turn changes the resistance of the strain gauge. This change in resistance can be measured and converted into an output signal.The other various types of load cells include hydraulic load cells and pneumatic load cells.

Engineers at work


Get the Best CNC Machining Services

Load cells are used in a huge variety of applications like bridge crane weighing, force measurement, conveyor weighing, hopper, and silo weighing, truck scales and belt weigh feeder scales.

We highly recommend Contact Instruments to meet your load cell requirements. They serve clients across the globe and in a diverse range of industries. Their comprehensive product portfolio includes drilling instrumentation, custom cables, torque gauge, weight indicator systems, industrial gauges, mud pressure gauges, and other industrial applications to the global well-servicing market.

Contact them today for high-quality CNC machining services.  

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