MSNST has been engineering top-of-the-line strain gauge load cells in America for over 40 years.
Measurement Specialists Inc, dba National Scale Technology, manufactures load cells according to six basic shapes with consideration of standard force-measurement applications. Application factors that determine a force sensor’s shape include but are not limited to: type of force the unit’s internal stain gauges are measuring, location the system is installed, and the total weight capacity necessary.
Load cells allow us to weigh things by acting as force sensors in scales and other equipment. These force sensors detect different types of strain being applied to an object or space via internal gauges which measure resistance and convert it into voltage. Mechanical input, electrical output. Strain gauge technology! Compression, pressure, tension, or torque can all be very precisely measured in any factory or testing environment thanks to strain-gauge load cells and weighing assemblies.
Are you weighing trucks or babies? Is this a steel mill or an offshore platform? Load cells often need to as small as feasible, while also as durable as possible. This requires careful consideration for the metal of the envelope, the diameter of element, and the environment it must operate in. Movement, humidity, and temperature are just three factors which also influence force measurements in any scale or weighing system.
Strain gauges are analog devices which require accompanying instrumentation in order to obtain weight readings or other data based on output voltage. Cells are built with certain cables or connectors and paired with instruments like digital indicators, signal conditioners, junction boxes, or modems. Load cell cables act as both the power and communication channel, bridging the strain gauges and weight indicators together. Power originates from the indicator through the excitation wires in load cells. Determining the right bridge, excitation, output, and wiring configurations is important to ensuring a load cell is compatible with any output instruments or computers.