A load cell is a transducer that creates an electrical signal whose magnitude is directly proportional to the measured force. There are many types of cells that you can go for.
Types of load cells
Compression: they are made from stainless steel which enables them to withstand harsh environments. They are ideal when you use them in truck and railway scales. Experts also recommend them for tank and silo weighing. There are other people in the gas and oil industry who use them. The cool thing is that the cells have proved very effective in these industries.
The cells are available in different cable lengths and all you need to do is to choose the length that is right for you.
Single point: they are designed for high accuracy applications where you can use them in retail and industrial environment, board weighing systems, packaging machinery and medical devices.
The cool thing with them is that they are designed and calibrated to ensure that they are insensitive to off-center loads.
There are many types of these load cell that you can go with. For example, there are cells that are designed for harsh environments. These ones are made from stainless steel and are highly sealed. In most cases they are sealed using the glass or metal sealing technology.
There are other cells that are designed for less severe environments. These ones are made from aluminum and often come with unique humidity-resistant coating.
You will find that different types of single point cells have different cable lengths, connectors and hazardous approval levels.
Tension: they are designed to be used in lifting, weighing and general measurements. Most of tension load cells make use of sealing compounds that are very durable. To ensure that the compounds used are exceedingly durable, the cells come with a laser welded sealing.
Planar beam: according to manufacturers, these are ideal for people who produce equipment with minimal overall height. They are most ideal when you use them in retail, medical and other weighing applications.
When you buy them you will find different loads cells with varying cable lengths. There are others that come with connectors while others don’t have connectors.
Conclusion
As mentioned above, there are many types of load cells in the market that you can buy. As you have seen different cells are ideal for different applications. To buy the right cell you should know where to apply it.