Load Cell Material
Structurally a load cell has a metal body to which strain gauges have been secured.
Load cell material. Although there are many varieties of force sensors strain gauge load cells are the most commonly used type. Compression load cell compression load cell description model 90210 is a strain gage based multicolumn compression type of load cell. The cell is recommended for tank truck track and hopper type industrial applications. Load cells generally consist of a spring element on which strain gauges have been placed.
The third material used for load cell manufacturing is stainless steel. Most strain gauge load cells work in very similar ways but may vary in size material and mechanical setup which can lead to each cell having different max loads and sensitivities that they can handle. The stainless alloy used is 17 4 ph. Aluminum load cells are limited by their low capacity range and should not be exposed to wet or chemical conditions.
Starrett load cells are compliant with ieee 1451 4 and meet or exceed astm e4 bs 1610 iso 7500 1 and en 10002 2. Starrett offers a full range of precision load cell sensors for material testing force analysis and force measurement applications. The spring element is usually made of steel or aluminum. This elasticity gives rise to the term spring element referring to the body of the load cell.
The load cells use a piezo electric material like silicon disk that generates electricity in proportion to the pressure applied due to weight loaded. The cell is supplied with an integral 20 meter cable. Except for certain laboratories where precision mechanical balances are still used strain gauge load cells dominate the weighing industry. It is hermetically sealed to provide better environmental protection.
For a few possible load cell mechanical setups check out the hookup guide with the load cell setup. Measurement accuracies of 0 5 of reading down to 1 100 of sensor capacity may be achieved. The electricity generated is measured to indicate the weight through a calibration process. Aluminum is the least expensive of the three materials used to manufacture load cells.