Upgrading facilities to industry 4.0 standards is one of the most significant trends in the manufacturing industry today. To do this, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are pushing hard to renovate their facilities with connected, automated devices and machines to create greater efficiency and cost savings. Smarter devices can ease the transition. For example, force measurement […]
Load cell
What is the difference between a pressure sensor and a load cell?
A load cell is a type of force sensor and it has a direct relationship to pressure, since: pressure = force/area Eq. 1 The load cell’s electrical output is proportional to the mechanical force applied to it. The force can be hydraulic or pneumatic and the transducer is normally based on strain gauges. Other types […]
How can a load cell force sensor be used in increasingly smaller end products?
A smaller form factor is frequently on the must have list for many next generation products. However, compromising performance is usually not an acceptable tradeoff. This is especially true in medical products such as force sensors where both precision and miniaturization are required. For example, vascular clamps are used to reduce the flow of blood […]
How do sensors make a smart crane safer?
Watching a crane operator elevate and transport a heavy load over a significant distance to a precise location with an articulated crane is always a fascinating and thought-provoking activity. With today’s concerns about job safety, how is safety handled in this process? Safety begins with the skill of the crane operator but today’s sensors and […]
Load Cell Comes in Rugged Ultra-Miniature Package
FUTEK LCM100 in-line load cell is an ultra-miniature threaded design that has a capacity range of 1000g to 25 lb. Utilizing metal foil strain gauge technology, the sensor can be used in both tension and compression applications. The design’s very low deflection allows it to provide high response rates and superior settling times. The sensor […]
New digital load cells for packaging machines provide high performance of EFC sensors
HBM , Inc. (www.hbm.com), introduces its FIT7A digital load cell. The FIT7A load cell not only provides nearly the same speed and accuracy of Electromagnetic Force Restoration (EFR) sensors normally found in modern packaging machines, but it does so at 60 percent less cost. This new strain gauge-based load cell makes it possible to develop […]
Higher Performance Load Cells from Measurement Specialties
Measurement Specialties (NASDAQ: MEAS), an expert in sensor design and manufacturing, has enhanced its series of ELAF compression and tension load cells to provide superior resolution and higher reliability, while remaining extremely cost-effective. The “four-bar” design of the sensors offers better stability and resistance to off-axis components than single diaphragm designs by incorporating a flexible […]
Load Cells Measure Mouse Movements
Behavioral researchers looking for alternative techniques to measure the reaction of laboratory mice may have a solution using load cells. A concept developed by Futek engineers uses four if it’s LSB200 Miniature Load Cells. With the sensors installed at the corners of the mouse’s cage, the measured data indicates the behavioral patterns of the mouse […]
Monitoring Medical Fluids for Patients
In medical applications, monitoring fluid input and output is a common requirement. Although it is performed frequently, high precision is required for patient monitoring. FUTEK has developed a complete system to weigh intravenous (IV) or saline bag fluids. The LSB200 Miniature S-Beam Load Cell provides the sensing capability to measure the tensile force applied to […]
