METTLER TOLEDO offers a variety of load cells and weigh modules designed for your applications. Our team of experts compiled a list of your common questions regarding load cell types and uses, load cell types based on construction, and best load cell types. Our experts are here to answer your questions and provide insight into our range of load cell types and applications. Read on to gain insights into our load cell types and uses.
What are the different types of load cells?
There are many different load cell types and applications. In principle, load cells are differentiated by their form factor, and you can determine the load cell types based on construction. Beam load cells look like a beam and use the bending beam principle. Beam load cells are used in multiple in scales eg. for floor scales. Beam load cells typically range from a few kg to 5t capacity.
Single point load cells also look like a beam but can be used with a single one in a scale. Single point load cells compensate for bending and allow for scale construction in the most economical way possible. Single point load cells reach from 3kg to 2t capacity.
Canister/Ring load cells are made for heavy capacity scales. Canister load cells are used for tank and silo weighing mostly in conjunction with weigh modules. Canister/Ring load cells are also used in vehicle scales. They range from 250kg up to several hundred tons capacity. S-Type load cells are made for tension loads like suspended hoppers. S-Type load cells are also called tension load cells for their preferred loading direction. S-Type load cells range from 25kg up to 10t capacity. Determining the best load cell types depends on your application and capacity requirements.
What are load cells made of?
Load cells are made from high stress hardened steel or high strength aluminum. The material is typically composed for that purpose and cannot be bought in a regular shop. The material can vary between different load cell types, and you can determine the load cell types based on construction.
What applications are load cells used for?
Load cells are used in scales made for weighing applications. In a supermarket, one can get a good idea where weighing is being used. Most packages are sold by kg or lb, thus were processed on a packaging machine with load cells. The meat counter and the checkout have scales with load cells inside. The prepacked cake was made in a factory where the recipe was mixed on a larger tank scale. The flour was delivered to the factory by using a vehicle scale that can weigh the whole truck and contains numerous load cells. Weighing with load cells is probably the most accurate method for determine amount of material and can be found almost everywhere. These are all examples of different load cell types and applications.
What is the best kind of load cell?
The best load cell types depend on the application and the objectives because there are many load cell types and applications. The capacity is the major selection criteria. Choose a beam type load cell for applications below 10t scale capacity; take a canister/ring cell beyond 10t scale capacity. For tension applications, S-Type load cells are best. The more valuable the material is the better the load cell performance shall be. We recommend using POWERCELL® load cell technology for applications where accuracy is critically important.
