Hardware Solutions To The Load Measurement Industry

The load measurement industry is one that uses software and devices to measure load or force. The most common way of doing so is using a device containing a load cell. A load cell is an energy-converting device that uses electronic signals to measure the force being measured according to specific calculations and proportions. Load cells are of various categories and are used for a variety of purposes. Most hardware solutions to the load measurement industry use one or other type of such load cells measurement device.

Some devices that are used for measuring loads are laboratory balances, industrial and platform scales, universal testing machines used across the world, and many more. These include small instruments needed for precise measurement requiring detailed calibration and tuning. Even large-scale industrial level machinery requires load measurement in different forms.

Hardware solutions

Some common hardware solutions include:

Hydraulic load weighing

This is used for tank and bin weighing as well as for use in outdoor environments. It is a relatively expensive technology and is thus not used by everyone easily.

Regulating balancing pressure

This is a hardware solution where air pressure is used in conjunction with load cells to regulate pressure and thereby load.

Geomechanical applications

This is a solution using vibrating wire load cells which have low amounts of drift.

Dynamic loading conditions

When there is continuous or frequent measurements of force required, devices using the piezoelectric load cells are used. This kind of hardware is also useful where a wide range of measurement is required.

Using strain gauge load cells

The most common type of devices used for measuring load use strain gauge load cells. These are useful, malleable and work in some different ways and can be adapted to multiple solutions. Due to its ease of use and longevity, these devices also tend to be more cost-effective than other hardware solutions in the market. These devices also tend to be more cost-effective than other hardware solutions in the market.

Common issues

While there are several hardware solutions for the load measurement industry, there are also several issues that come up. While these are not consistent, it has to be understood that there is no such thing as a faultless device or technology. Some problems that the load measurement industry deals with are:

• Mechanical mounting issues
• Overload and signal loss
• Wiring issues
• Electrical damage
• Nonlinearity