CHOOSING LOAD CELLS FOR INDUSTRIAL WEIGHING

The overall performance of any scale or weighing system can only be as good as:

1 The original design and build procedure.

2 The quality and performance of key components.

3 The installation and commissioning procedure.

4 On going maintenance and regular calibration.

The majority of modern weighing systems rely on strain gauge load cells for the conversion
of weight or load change into usable electrical output.

Although the development of modern electronics has dramatically outpaced the changes in
load cell development it should not be forgotten that the overall performance of any system
is still dependent on the primary transducers providing stable and accurate weight data.

Modern electronics can certainly enhance system operation and performance but the basic
mechanical design of a weighing system together with the right choice of key components is
of paramount importance.

Therefore, the selection of the correct load cell for a particular application is vital and should
be the first consideration when designing any weighing system.

But how can design engineers be sure they make the right choice of load cell and what are
the key factors that should be considered?

After this, once the correct choice of load cell has been made, what are the main factors for
consideration regarding fitting, commissioning and ongoing maintenance?

LOAD CELL CHOICE

The main points to consider are:

 Basic type and mode of operation.

 Number of load cells.
 Capacity.
  Performance or accuracy level -related to system requirements.
 Method of mounting.
 Approval requirements (metrological, safety, environmental)
 Sealing level and material of construction.
 Cost.

There is wide choice of load cell types available and selecting which type of load cell to use
may, at first sight, seem a daunting task. However once the size, type and mode of
operation of the weighing system is determined then choosing the type of load cell becomes
very straightforward.

Essentially load cells operate in two basic modes.

The weighing vessel (or similar) either sits on one or more load cells -compression mode
or hangs from one or more load cells -tension mode.

Although tension applications are relatively easy to set up and gravity ensures optimum
load introduction, weighing vessel design and safety considerations usually limit the
practical load cell capacity range, typically to 5 tonne and below.

Once the mode of operation has been decided, system capacity usually determines which
type of load cells should be used.

Overview of load cell types

Capacity Range Load Cell Type

(Individual Load Cells)

Low up to 500kg Bending Beam
Medium Single Ended Shear beam

Double Ended Shear beam

500kg-20 tonnes 
Canister

  Bending Ring
Double Ended Shear beam
20-50 tonnes
Canister

Bending Ring
High Double Ended Shear beam
50-100 tonnes Canister

Bending Ring
>100 tonnes Canister

Bending beams

Bending beam load cells require particular care when mounting to ensure good load
introduction and to prevent damage from side or non axial forces. Fully weld-sealed
stainless steel low capacity beams down to 5kg are now available offering excellent
solutions to low capacity weighing in harsh environments.

Single ended shear beams

Single ended shear beams provide the ideal solution for medium capacity weighing. Their
ability to withstand 100% side load without problems makes them particularly suitable for
weighing systems with mixers and agitators. However these units become costly and
cumbersome to mount above 5 tonnes.

Double ended shear beams

For medium to high capacity applications, the double ended shear beam offers a number of
advantages over other designs. Units like the one shown opposite have built-in jacking bolts
which can be used to support the weighing structure during installation thus allowing the
live load cells to be fitted just prior to commissioning, avoiding damage. The load cell is
designed to rock on its mounting base to accommodate misalignment in mounting surfaces
whilst still being retained. The mounting arrangement also permits limited movement to
allow for thermal expansion and contraction as well as lift off protection.

Canister load cells

Traditional canister load cells have stood the test of time and provide a compact and cost
effective solution for many high capacity weighing systems. Some compression cells can be
damaged by relatively small side loads and therefore it is advisable to use proprietary
mounting hardware to ensure correct load introduction and protection from side loads.
Canister load cells can be fully weld sealed and stainless steel construction is now an
industry standard.

Bending Ring Load Cells

Bending ring load cells are a relatively new concept in load cell design and provide an
excellent low profile solution for a wide range of weighing applications. Unlike standard
compression load cells, which can readily suffer from off-axis loading problems, bending ring
load cells are loaded through a centrally located annular ring. By using a central floating pin
to transmit load to this ring, optimum load introduction is assured and off-axis loads up to
three or four degrees can be tolerated without loss in performance. Proprietary mounting
assemblies, which offer excellent versatility, are now available for both process weighing
applications and platform scales. The compact design of the bending ring readily lends itself
to all stainless steel welded construction.

Single point load cells

Although originally designed for platform scales these versatile load cells are now being
used in a wide range of industrial applications. Improvements in sealing levels and
increased capacity allows these units to be used in the harshest of environments. Single
point load cells are designed so that a platform or similar can be fixed directly to the load
cell they provide accurate weighing wherever the load is placed. This simplifies scale design
and reduces cost. Both bending and shear versions are now available.

Smart load cells

Digital load cells are now becoming more available for industrial weighing in a number of
formats. Although they offer certain distinct advantages over analogue devices, their overall
performance is still dependent on sound mechanical installation procedures. Some of their
advantages are:

 Robust digital output signal improves communications especially over long cable
runs.

 Interfacing with standard bus systems is simplified.

 Higher capacity load cells than normal can be used in areas subject to high overload
(wind, seismic).

 Calibration routines can be simplified provided systems are repeatable.

 Load cell replacement in the field under certain circumstances can be accomplished
without system re-calibration.

 Built in diagnosis can help speed up fault finding.

PERFORMANCE

This complex subject needs careful consideration when designing a weighing system. Load
cell performance parameters can be split into three main groups, namely those that are:

 Time dependent (creep, zero return).

 Environment dependent (temperature effects, humidity etc.).

 Mechanically dependent (inherent load cell design and build, weigh system
characteristics).

In practice, these individual parameters cannot be individually isolated and the ultimate
system performance will be a function of a combination of these parameters together with
other weighing system effects. It can therefore be very misleading to try to calculate
weighing system performance from individual load cell data.

When trying to establish expected performance criteria, the engineer should consider how
the system will operate and what the worst case operating conditions may be - the widest
temperature range, the smallest weight change required to be measured, the worst
environmental conditions (flood, tempest, seismic activity) and the maximum overload
conditions.

There is also little sense in selecting load cells with the optimum performance if the manner
in which they are designed and fitted into the system is substandard.

It is important to remember that the method of calibration will also determine the optimum
accuracy which can be achieved. The uncertainty of measurement of the calibration method
should be three times better than the required system accuracy. For high capacity weighing
systems this may limit the system accuracy to 0.75% at best.

LOAD CELL CAPACITY

There are a number of recognised ways of calculating the required load cell capacity for
particular application.

Essentially the load cells must be capable of supporting:

  The weight of the weighing structure (dead load)
 The maximum live load which can be applied (including any static overload)
 Additional overload arising from external factors such as wind loading or seismic
activity.

Significant overturning forces can be generated as a result of wind on vessels

installed in exposed areas. The forces generated are proportional to the square of
the wind speed which can be significantly increased by adjacent buildings, local
topography and altitude. Such overturning forces will significantly increase the
loading on the load cells and this must be calculated when deciding on the required
capacity. Any loading assemblies must also meet necessary safety and integrity
requirements. In severe cases, it may be necessary to fit load cells with at least
twice the capacity which would be required for the same system fitted indoors.

One important point, often over looked, which has a major impact on overall system
performance is "load cell output per unit load change". It is vitally important that the
engineer fully understands this when designing any system.

It is very straightforward to calculate the output per unit load change provided the engineer
understands how any weigh system will be operated. In other words, consideration should
be given to the minimum load change that has to be measured and relate this back to load
cell output and the ability of the electronics to discriminate effectively changes of this
magnitude.

The key phrase here is 'minimum load change'. Often, for a number of practical reasons,
weighing systems have a significantly larger capacity then their actual operating capacity. In
these situations the load cells are chosen to accommodate the overall capacity and are then
required to provide weight data over a much smaller range. As an example consider a 90 kg
vessel supported on four 30 kg load cells which is used to deliver batches of material of 10
kg anywhere over the 90 kg range. If we assume the load cells have 2 mV/V rated output
and are connected to electronics supplying 10 volts, then :

Full scale system output (at 90 kg) =90x2x10/4x30 = 15 mV or 15000uV

Actual output over 10 kg range =10x15000/90 = 1667 uV 

This is the output that the electronics has to process and the resolution of the weighing
system must be related back to this figure.

If the electronics has a minimum requirement of 1V per scale increment, then the

best resolution that could be expected is 10x1000/1667= 6 gm

Practically, the scale increment must be a multiple of 10 (ie 1, 2 or 5, or decimals thereof)

and so the best working resolution in this example would be 10 gm giving a working
resolution of 1 part in 1000.

It should be noted that this calculation is based on the minimum signal level required by the
electronics. Consideration must be given to the performance of the load cells within the
working conditions of the system to try to relate this resolution to overall accuracy or
uncertainty of measurement, Relating this figure of 10 gm back to the load cells themselves
gives a required resolution of :

10/30x4000x4 or 1 part in 12,000

Note that we are talking about resolution here and this should not be confused with load cell
or system accuracy.

OVERLOAD

Load cells are usually specified as having a safe overload of 50% of rated capacity This
overload capability should be used as a safety valve, never as part of the normal operating
range.

Although there are no moving parts within a strain gauge load cell, fatigue can cause failure
and it is important to understand the limitations especially in applications where high
frequency operations or shock loading is expected.

Failure can occur in the metallic element of the load cell, the bonding of the strain gauge or
in the materials of the strain gauge itself.

LOAD INTRODUCTION

The key to reliable and high performance weighing is to ensure optimum load introduction
even under adverse conditions. Load cells are designed and tested to measure load through
their primary axis. Any irregular loading which introduces off axis forces as a result of poor
mounting disciplines will almost certainly introduce unwanted errors and can cause
permanent mechanical damage.

The way to minimize these effects is to use proprietary mounting hardware, designed
specifically for a particular load cell.

Traditionally, only lower capacity load cells have been available with complete mounting
hardware assemblies, relying on engineers to design their own fittings for high capacity
systems -a situation which often resulted in cumbersome arrangements and poor weighing
performance.

Fortunately weighing companies have recognised these problems and loading assemblies
specifically designed for higher capacity systems are now readily available.

Such units usually incorporate both side and lift-off restraints and are designed to
accommodate limited vessel movement resulting from thermal expansion and contraction.
In parallel they are designed to resist the effects of agitators and mixers whilst still
permitting accurate weighing.
OVERLOAD PROTECTION

In applications where loading situations can exceed the rated capacity of the load cells,
overload protection should be designed into the system. Load cell deflections are very small
and therefore direct mechanical overload stops can be difficult to set up with sufficient
accuracy and can also be a cause of problems in dirty industrial environments.

An alternative method is to use `relative motion' overload stops. Here a stiff elastic material
or special springs are used between the load cell and the weighing system to provide
additional deflection thus allowing easier setting up of the stops. Note that this elastic
material should be between the load cell(s) and the weighing structure, not between the
load cell(s) and the support structure or ground.

However, any problems arising from this additional deflection must be considered . As well
as providing over load stops in the normal direction it is prudent to provide `lift off '
protection in certain applications especially on outdoor systems where wind can be an
important factor.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS

It is important to ensure that the load cells chosen for a particular application will meet the
required sealing levels to prevent premature failure. Consideration should be given to:

 The material of construction

 The method of sealing (welded, potted, open)
 Cable entry integrity

Although IP ratings are used by load cell manufacturers, such ratings do not fully define
environmental compatibility. Fully welded stainless steel load cells usually provide the best
protection but remember that the stainless steel used is not 316 and can corrode under
certain conditions especially if chlorine is present. 

Note

If weighing systems are to be installed in designated Hazardous Areas, then expert advice

must be sought. Intrinsically safe load cells are readily available which meet CENELEC
requirements for use in hazardous areas.

If care is taken in the choice of the right load cell for a particular application, then you are
well on the way to achieving a reliable and accurate weighing system. However correct
installation and commissioning procedures are vital to ensure a high performance weighing
system.