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What is a Load Cell?

Learn Weight Sensor What is a Load Cell?

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A load cell is an electro-mechanical sensor used to measure force or weight. It uses a simple yet effective design, which
relies on the well-known relationship between an applied force, material deformation, and the flow of electricity.

Load cells are incredibly versatile devices, offering accurate and robust performance across a wide range of applications.
Their versatility makes them indispensable in numerous industrial and commercial processes. This includes applications
from automating car manufacturing to weighing your shopping at the checkout.

As technology rapidly advances, load cells are finding new and exciting applications. Industries such as robotics, haptics,
and medical prosthetics, which require effective force and weight measurement methods, increasingly rely on these
devices. To cater to these evolving needs, new types of load cells are continually being developed, ensuring they remain
integral in an ever-changing market landscape.

How Do Load Cells Work?

Here's a step-by-step guide to how a load cell works:

1. Securing the Load Cell: One end is usually secured to a frame or base, while the other end is free to attach the
weight or weight-bearing element.

2. Applying Force: When force is applied to the body of the load cell, it flexes slightly under the strain. This is similar to
what happens to a fishing rod when a fisherman hooks a fish.

3. Proportionate Flexing: Just as a fisherman experiences more rod bending with a bigger, stronger fish, a load cell
flexes more significantly under greater applied force.

4. Detecting Deformation: Although the deformation is very subtle and not visible to the naked eye, it is detected by
the strain gauges.

5. Measurement of Deformation: To measure the deformation, strain gauges are tightly bonded to the body of the
load cell at pre-determined points, causing them to deform in unison with the body.

6. Load Measurement: The resulting movement alters the electrical resistance of the strain gauges in proportion to the
amount of deformation caused by the applied load. This altered resistance provides a precise measurement of the
load or force applied.

Technology of a Load Cell Sensor

A load cell, sometimes referred to as a load sensor or load cell transducer, typically consists of two main parts: the main
body and an attached electrical circuit. The main body of the load cell, a crucial component in load cells for weighing,
bears the weight or force and accounts for most of the load cell’s size. Typically, it is made from high-grade steel or
aluminium, which ensures mechanical reliability, and predictable and uniform strain distribution.

The load cell circuit is housed within the sensor, tightly bonded to the main body. The system includes strain gauges
which are specialised parts of the circuit designed to sense the deformations of the main body.

These strain gauges consist of thin, electrically conductive wire or foil arranged in a tight zig-zag pattern. This pattern
makes them sensitive to stretch and compression along their length, but insensitive across their width. As such, they can
be precisely positioned to sense forces that run along particular axes. For example, shear beam load cells have their strain
gauges positioned at a 45-degree angle to the loading axis, so as to maximise the detection of the shear strain running
through the load cell.

Environmental Protection

Load Cell Accuracy

Installation and use

Types of Load Cells
A load cell is available in various shapes and configurations that can be specified for use in different application areas.
Commonly, there are four types of load cells, however, their core technology remains the same.

The four main categories of load cells are:

Beam

Beam load cells are highly versatile sensors that typically work as cantilevers with one end being fixed and the other end
free to deflect when subjected to a force.

Some beam load cells may also be considered double-ended, meaning the sensor is fixed at both ends and loaded in the
centre.

Learn more...

Single Point

Typically, load cells rely upon the applied force being placed at a central point of the sensor body. Deviation of the
centrally applied force will result in a loss of accuracy.

Single point load cells work differently, allowing for off-centre loading whilst maintaining accuracy. This ability makes
them an ideal load cell type for applications where load is applied with a degree of placement variability.

Learn more...

Compression

As the name suggests, a compression load cell measures a squashing or pushing force. Generally their design mimics a
column, giving the sensor additional strength for use in high capacity, static applications.

Learn more...

Tension

A tension load cell is primarily used to measure a pulling force, whereby the load is suspended from the foot of the sensor,
causing it to stretch.

Tension load cells are sometimes called S-type or S cells due to their shape resembling the letter S. Many tension load
cells can also be used to measure a compressive force, making them highly versatile.

Learn more...

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