Load cells: the key to industrial weighing systems
The most common application of transducers is in electronic weighing systems
The load cells used in the industrial weighing systems are transducers, electronic components capable of measuring the force applied to an object thanks to an electrical signal which varies as the deformation produced http://www.nbcweighing.com/fr/instruments-de-pesage-industriels/by the force on the component varies itself. They are generally composed of an elastic metal body (in steel or aluminum) on which are glued strain gauges that read the mechanical deformation of compression or traction undergone by the material through the variation of electrical resistance caused by the deformation itself.
The elastic element, when a load is applied, undergoes a minimum change in shape which results in a variation of the electrical signal of the strain gauge circuit with Wheatstone bridge. The most common application of load cells is in electronic weighing systems and in the measurement of the mechanical stress of compression and traction.

Load cells according to the requirements
The elastic element, when a load is applied, undergoes a minimum change in shape which results in a variation of the electrical signal of the strain gauge circuit with Wheatstone bridge. The most common application of load cells is in electronic weighing systems and in the measurement of the mechanical stress of compression and traction.
- Central load cells
- compression load cells
- shear beam load cells
- traction load cells
- flexion load cells
- flange load cells
- pin load cells
- static torque meters
Models with integrated analog (0-10V or 4-20mA) and digital (CanOpen) interfaces are also available, ATEX or IECEx certified and used in places where there is a risk of explosion, load cells that follow the OIML R60 accuracy classes used in the field of legal metrology and finally redundant (ie with double channel) used in SIL (Safety Integrity Level) systems.
Numerous sectors concerned
Cells have now become essential in many industrial processes and the fields of application are many. Among the main sectors we can certainly mention the following:
- Livestock sector where they are used to automate certain processes such as feed dosage and storage
- Dosing and sorting of food products
- Gravimetric filling systems for bottles and cans
- Weighing of means of transport and storage (trucks, train carriages, ships, tanks, etc.)
- Avoiding overloading on overhead cranes during the lifting phase and to comply with SIL standards
- Geotechnical field where they are used to determine the forces applied by the tie rods or the forces of the riveting or bolting in tunnels, diaphragms and retaining walls
- Safety on aerial platforms and cranes
- Test benches for the overhaul of cars, motorcycles and trucks
- In the oil&gas sector during the drafting of gas pipelines.
The performance of a cell depends on many factors, among which the correct installation of the cell plays a crucial role. Precisely for this reason NBC Elettronica Group supports its customers from the design to the implementation of the product, with an after-sales assistance and repair service.
