Versatile, accurate and stable load cells

The Redex Group is extending the offer of load cells dedicated to the tension measurement for the markets where the company is already a supplier of reference, such as composites, wire & cable, converting, packaging, labelling, battery manufacturing.

The tension control specialist offers with WAT+ series, the best of its know-how in force measurement with an innovative concept based on a very modular architecture able to handle pulley or roller for strip, wire and narrow web applications and bearing housing or coupling supporting the shaft for larger web.

To go further into details, the Redex WAT+ sensors range is made from a versatile load cell (core of the solution) on which different mounting accessories can be fixed.

Through the internal structure optimization, 3 different measurement sensibilities are available by size. The very compact size 1 is covering 50N-250N-500N ranges while the new size 2 is extending measurement range to 1000N-2500N-5000N for larger web in converting market or stronger products in cable or metal strips applications.

Among many other costs saving benefits, this unique design enables to use same accessories by size, whatever the chosen load range.

Even more, advanced research with finite elements calculation made on the internal structure of the cell enables as a remarkable result to ensure that the measurement value remains the same whatever the position of the product on a cantilever roller.

Another crucial reason for this modular solution is the flexibility offered to engineers to design their own accessories according to any of their special requirements, such as special length, special surface treatments, special pulleys shapes, etc.

@mepaxIntPR #Redex_Grp #Pauto #Manufacturing

Load sensors in the world of greasepaint and legwarmers!

Drama as helicopter sensor flies into theatre role!

With theatres striving to create breath-taking spectacles and leave the audience gasping for more, there is often world-class engineering behind the scenes. A British company is developing technology to ensure safety when excited performers and heavy machinery share the same space.

If live theatre is to compete with film and television, it has to produce visual spectacles to complement the performance of the actors, singers and musicians on stage. Hollywood’s increasing reliance on CGI (computer generated imagery) has upped the ante for stage set designers, who have to work before a live audience, in restricted space and with a constant eye on the safety of the many people working frantically round the set. Many stage props and almost all of the backdrops are lowered onto the stage from the fly tower just behind it. Usually this is done quickly between scenes, but sometimes it is during - and as part of - the actual performance. Either way, safety and reliability are essential.

“Until recently, the sets were manually controlled with a technical stage manager watching everything from the wings and giving instructions by radio to the winch operators above.” explains Tony Ingham of Sensor Technology who is helping to introduce safety systems and automation to the theatre industry. “Speed is of the essence during scene changes, but you have to be confident the winches won’t fail – which could easily damage the set or injure a person.” 

Sensor Technology is achieving this using real-time load signals from each winch. The data is monitored by a computer in the control room so that instant action can be taken if any loads move out of tolerance.

“We developed the load cells, which we have called LoadSense, a couple of years ago, originally for monitoring cargo nets carried under helicopters.” says Tony. “We were asked to develop one specific capability within the cell and were delighted to do so because we could see that the technology would transfer to many other fields – although I didn’t realise it would get to be a backstage pass to a world of greasepaint and legwarmers! That critical characteristic was robust, industrial-grade wireless communications, something in which Sensor Technology already has a 15year track record from its TorqSense transducer range. In basic terms, each LoadSense has an on-board radio frequency transmitter which sends signals to the control room computer. The transmitter has to be physically robust to cope with the environment it finds itself in and capable of maintaining its signal integrity through the most corrupting of harmonic conditions.

“By working in real time, we can act instantly to any problems. For instance, if a load starts running too fast we would slow it down immediately. If a prop is heavier than expected this could suggest someone was standing on it so shouldn’t be whizzed 50 feet into the air at high speed. In fact, in this case, the computer ‘jiggles’ the load for a second or two as a warning to encourage the person to step away: If the load then returns to normal we are happy to let it rise; if it doesn’t, the floor manager is alerted by an alarm to check the situation.”

LoadSense is proving so sensitive that it can provide a feedback signal to close the control loop on a vector drive controlling the winch. Normally theatre engineers use sensorless vector drives, which offer good dynamic performance without the complications of wiring in a feedback sensor.

Sensor Technology is closing the loop which improves system integrity and enhances safety by a significant margin.

“Not that many years ago, stage scenery was fairly static, being moved only during the interval when the curtains were closed,” Tony recalls. “Then the big theatres in the West End and on Broadway started to emulate some of the things you see in the movies. Looking back, those early efforts were pretty crude, but you would say the same about long-running film franchises such as James Bond or Indiana Jones. Nowadays, film directors can produce their spectacular images using CGI, and this has upped the ante no end for their cousins in live theatre. The computer power they turn to is not virtual reality but industrial automation.”

In fact, theatre engineers probably work in more demanding conditions than manufacturing engineers. Everything has to be right on the night, harmonic corruption is at stratospheric levels, there can be major changes at a moments notice, people run through the ‘machinery’ without a thought for personal safety.

“But with automation some order is brought to this creative chaos. In fact, the health and safety inspectors now insist on it, with lots of failsafes and feedbacks. I honestly don’t think theatre engineers would be able to achieve half of what they do without wireless communications. There would be just too many wires running all over the place and inevitably some would get broken at the most inopportune of moments.”

@sensortech #PAuto 

Smart beekeeping!

ZEMIC Europe* are no strangers to extraordinary load measurement tasks as this latest application in beekeeping suggests.

Apiago is a French start-up company looking to help revolutionise the preservation of bees and promote biodiversity through a new-concept smart beehive which allows beginners with no beekeeping knowledge to install and maintain a beehive in their own garden. Apiago also supports businesses and communities in preserving pollinators by providing the food and shelter necessary for their presence. 

The Apiago beehive, visible to all, is the symbol of this initiative for biodiversity. The wall mounted autonomous, solar-powered hive, with its dedicated mobile phone app and internet integrated technology, includes a ZEMIC L6D 20 kg load cell that allows the bee colony’s weight gain or loss to be monitored as the bees pollinate the local area and the hive develops through the seasons.

Whilst load cell-based weighing systems have been extensively used for traditional hives by apiarists over many years, the patented Apiago hive brings beekeeping as a consumer-oriented product which can be installed in practically any garden or allotment setting and used without specialist knowledge.

ZEMIC’s L6D series load cell

For companies or cities, APIAGO solution is to use the Apiago hive as a symbol of the initiative engaged by the company or city in favour of biodiversity. APIAGO supports them to improve their green spaces to host more pollinators

ZEMIC worked with Apiago through a series of development trials and the 20 kg capacity L6D series load cell was selected as the best fitting and most cost-effective component for the application. The aluminium-alloy, IP65 rated single point load cell is OIML approved and has as a durable clear anodised finish. With a large selection of weighing ranges from 3 to 50 kg, it is widely used on commercial pricing, counting and bench scales.

* Variohm EuroSensor has a close association with ZEMIC dating back to 2008, providing comprehensive application support and a full sales service across its wide range of load and force sensors with capacities from a few hundred grams to more than 500 Tons. Product families include single point cells, compression cells, S-type, shear beam and spoke type load cells. Also available are complete weighing assemblies, separate strain gauge circuits, junction boxes, mounting accessories and electronics.

@ZemicEurope @Variohm #Food #Agriculture

Interface for weighing devices/Schnittstelle für Waagen.

The CAN in Automation (CiA) association has released version 2.0.0 of the CiA 461 profile specification series. 

This series comprises four parts specifying the CANopen interfaces of weighing devices. A simple CANopen weighing network consists of load cells, compensation sensors, scales and HMIs (human machine interface) or indicators. Such a network can comprise several devices of the same kind. Load cells and scales feature optionally locally or remotely connected compensation sensors. Scales provide optionally locally or remotely connected indicators. These devices are controlled and operated by a weighing process control entity located typically in the scale. 

This device supports also CANopen manager capabilities (NMT producer, configuration manager, and error control services such as Heartbeat) to configure, control, and monitor the other CANopen devices. If a scale does not provide a weighing controller, the corresponding functionality can be implemented in a PLC (programmable logic controller) or an industrial PC.

Version 2.0.0 of CiA 461 series introduces functional safety features as standardized in EN 50325-5 (CANopen Safety). The profile documents specify SRDOs (safety-related data objects). They are mapped to two Classical CAN data frames containing bit-wise inverted information using different CAN-IDs. The trade-for-sale function is the same as in the previous version. Also, the authentication and encrypting functions have not been changed.

Weighing systems compliant with this CANopen profile are intended for industrial applications including truck scales and weighbridges. On-board weighing equipment with CANopen connectivity is specified in the CiA 459 series.

CANopen-Profil für Waagen
Der eingetragene Verein CAN in Automation (CiA) hat die Version 2.0.0 der Profil-Spezifikation CiA 461 herausgegeben. 

Die vierteilige Spezifikation beschreibt die CANopen-Schnittstellen von Lastzellen, Waagen und Anzeigegeräten. Von diesen Geräten können mehrere Instanzen an das CANopen-Netzwerk angeschlossen werden. Lastzellen und Waagen können zusätzlich über CANopen, Daten von Kompensationssensoren erhalten (z. B. bei unterschiedlichen Außentemperaturen). Diese Sensoren können aber auch bereits in der Lastzelle oder der Waage eingebaut sein.

Die Wiegesteuerfunktion für das Gesamtsystem ist typischerweise in einer Waage untergebracht. Diese Waage ist dann auch der CANopen-Manager mit der NMT-Producer-Funktion. Alternativ kann die Wiegesteuerung auch in einer speicherprogrammierbaren Steuerung oder einem Industrie-PC implementiert werden.

Die Version 2.0.0 von CiA 461 spezifiziert auch eine funktional-sichere Kommunikation entsprechend der europäischen Norm EN 50325-5 (CANopen-Safety). Dazu sind in dem Profil SRDOs (Safety-related Data Objects) beschrieben. Diese verwenden zwei CAN-Datenframes mit bit-weise invertiertem Inhalt, die unterschiedliche CAN-Identifier nutzen. Die „Trade-for-sale“-Funktion ist identisch mit der, in der vorherigen Version beschriebenen. Authentifizierung und Datenverschlüsselung wurden ebenfalls nicht geändert.

Wiegesysteme, die der Profilspezifikation CiA 416 entsprechen, sind für industrielle Anwendungen gedacht. Sie umfassen auch LKW-Waagen und Brückenwaagen. On-board-Wiegegeräte mit CANopen-Schnittstellen sind in der Profilreihe CiA 459 spezifiziert.

@CANopen #PAuto #Weighing #Automotive

Force sensor and load cell in aerospace.

Strainsert’s load cells, load pins, and other force sensing components and systems find use in a wide variety of measurement tasks across a wide range of industries. All applications require uncompromising levels of quality and reliability but none more so than the aerospace sector. Strainsert has a comprehensive standard product offering but characteristically for the aerospace industry, its custom design service comes to the fore – led by a proven multi-stage approach that is supported for British customers by its exclusive distribution partner, Ixthus Instrumentation.

Strainsert’s standard and custom force measurement products include a patented transducer design made possible by an innovative internal gauging process. Through its extensive in-house design and production capability, this process facilitates the manufacture of load bearing components as complete piece parts and structures where strain gauges and all circuitry are actually bonded and hermetically sealed inside small bore holes within the component. Supplied with NIST traceable force calibration, typical specifications range from -40 to +150 degrees Celsius and pressures to 100 bar with MTBF ratings of billions of cycles. With the strain gauges bonded to the neutral axis of the particular load bearing component, they are insensitive to extraneous loading and so are typically more accurately reliable and consistent when compared to competitive components with externally mounted sensor electronics.

Strainsert’s internal gauging process has proven rugged and durable, survivable and highly reliable in extremely harsh environments. This technology has helped to keep Strainsert at the forefront of the aerospace industry with cutting-edge applications such as the Mars Exploration Rover Mission for NASA and the Space Shuttle launching pad.

For custom force sensors, applications can range from research and testing of materials that are evaluated for use in aerospace to complete manufactured component parts that will eventually be used to monitor and control forces during installation, assembly, or operation on ground test equipment or actual aircraft.

For large aerospace projects, many international companies and institutions are typically involved and Strainsert’s force and load sensing products are often utilised to ensure operational safety when interfacing these multiple supplier’s sub-assemblies. In many instances, these same load cells are designed to be permanently integrated in the system to both bear the load and measure the force for the life of the product.

Strainsert’s load cells also find use for force determination and evaluation of aircraft hardware in loading simulation trials to determine and verify the expected fatigue spectrum encountered during the actual life of the hardware and even the aircraft over many millions of loading cycles.

The aerospace industry is a great proving ground for the integrity of Strainsert’s load cells, load pins, and other force sensing components. Applications include but are not restricted to monitoring force on aircraft landing gear, wings, flaps, slats and ailerons as well as engine/wing mountings and interfaces. Other aerospace related measurement tasks include ejection seat and parachute force monitoring, satellite antenna forces, rocket separation bolts and many other interesting applications.

Ixthus works closely with Strainsert and other global sensor technology leaders for force, torque and vibration measurement, providing a complete sales and support service at component level or for complete instrumentation systems. Ixthus’ knowledgeable technical staff are on hand to assist with measurement solutions - from the first enquiry, to supply and to after-sales support.

@IxthusInst #PAuto

Cracking egg weighing!

Damtech Egg-Handling BV specialises in automated egg processing machinery and recently, with the help of load measurement specialists Zemic Europe, developed its latest E-Grader 40 egg weighing, sorting and packaging system. With a maximum capacity to grade 28800 eggs each hour and scalable up to six lines, the state-of-the-art machine utilises Zemic’s L6N series single-point load cells in combination with its Top-Sensors T1 weight transmitter to provide high-speed processing at the rate of one measurement per 300 ms.

Zemic through Variohm EuroSensor, works closely with its customers to provide solutions that differentiate their market position. As weighing was not a technology area that Damtech had encountered previously the two companies’ combined their respective skills in automated machinery and force sensors to develop the E-Grader 40 which is aimed at farmers that sell their commercial egg produce straight from the farm. These supply sources are becoming increasingly popular for consumers but are still subject to the rigorous quality and legislative regulations required of large producers. The machine can handle 5 different grade classes between 43 and 73 grams. Consequently the design brief included not only accuracy, reliability and straightforward integration in the machines’ architecture but also ease of maintenance and, of course, competitive cost.

Zemic’s L6N load cell and the T1 weight transmitter provided best fit components for the machine where the anodised aluminium-alloy and IP65 rated single point load cell with OIML approval offered a maximum platform size of 350 x 400 mm. This load cell is well proven for use in a variety of applications and has a pedigree of use in the medical weighing market. The measurement ranges available span 0…3 kg up to 100 kg, and with a combined error of less than 0.02% FS the L6N features industry leading precision, build quality and long reliable life.

The T1 weight transmitter is DIN rail mounted, has an integral 6-segment semi alphanumeric display and takes care of set-up and calibration - with a wide choice of output configurations including analogue (voltage and current) as well as USB and many commonly used fieldbus protocols. For use with 1, 4 or 8 load cells, it provides excitation voltage and load cell signal conversion making integration with the customers’ control system straightforward as well as scalable.

@Variohm  #PAuto #Food @ZemicEurope

Comprehensively equipped weighing indicators.

Complementing its existing range of sensors for monitoring load, Variohm EuroSensor has added two new weighing indicators that offer OIML and CE approval plus a host of features and options for commercial and industrial weighing applications.

Suiting both scale and process weighing tasks, the new 20i & 22i series can be configured with a choice of 6-digit LCD or LED displays. And, with an auto-switching AC supply or optional battery power for mobile equipment use, maximum durability is ensured with an IP67 rated stainless steel housing and mounting fixtures. A menu driven user interface includes a membrane keypad with 12 numeric keys + 7 functional keys that allow straightforward selection of built-in weighing and counting modes where an Alibi memory retains the last 100k transactions.

As standard, the units offer selectable digital I/O, four dry-relay outputs and two opto-isolated inputs for setpoints and batching. PC or PLC connectivity includes an RS 485 full duplex interface or an optional Ethernet TCP/IP and USB 2.0 board can be specified. Two serial ports also provide printing, networking and other various serial streaming formats. A 20 mA serial port is available for a remote display. The indictors will drive up to 10 x 350 Ω load cells (4 to 6 wires) or up to 20 units of 700 Ω.

The many application configuration possibilities for the 20i and 22i include but are not limited to the following: Custom ticket printing with gross, net and setpoint in a customisable format that can include print time and date, unit ID, and consecutive ticket number; Accumulation where weights are totalled with an armed print function; Batching with up to eight batch steps with latched or continuous outputs for gross, net and delay setpoint. Actions include trip high or low, wait for standstill, print, accumulate and tare; Keyed tare—pre-set tare value can be entered when the gross weight is at zero; Configuration for local/remote where the remote unit displays weight and transmits key press commands to the local unit; User and operator password protection; Audit trail tracking; Time and date.

@Variohm  #PAuto 

Load cells under water.

The EPICTidal Team consisting of Lab-Sea-Systems Dr Florent Trarieux, Cranfield University’s Dr Joao Amaral-Teixeira and Nick Barlow, Managing Director of Designcraft Ltd (Blade designer and manufacturer) wanted to know the performance implications of employing lower cost methods for the manufacture of large scale tidal turbine rotors. Lowering the cost of rotor blade manufacture would make this renewable energy more economical to use and widely accessible, benefiting all tidal energy markets throughout the world.

To assess the rotor blade performance they developed a submersible tidal turbine test rig incorporating 2 x DDEN load cells from Applied Measurements. The rotor blade design to be tested was coupled to the tidal turbine test rig and placed in a state-of-the-art test tank, where the team were able to increase the size, flow rate and turbulence levels within the tank. The first DDEN load cell measured the torque and the other measured the thrust of the tidal rotor design.

“The DDEN were ideal to use in this application as they are fully submersible up to 10 metres” explained Bob Davies, Applied Measurements’ Production Director.

The DDEN in-line submersible load cells are low profile and very compact and designed to measure both tension and compression underwater. They come with an IP68 rating and are sealed using ‘O’ rings to guarantee integrity during long term submersion. Their IP68 rating and ‘O’ ring sealing makes them ideal to use underwater or in areas at risk of flooding. The DDEN submersible load cell comes in capacities from 0-250N up to 50kN with customised capacities, threads and dimensions on request, as well as versions rated to greater submersion depths in seawater, oil and other more aggressive media.

For this submersible application the DDEN load cells were fitted with 10 metres of submersible 4-core screened polyurethane cable for complete submersible protection underwater. They have a guaranteed accuracy to <±0.15% of the rated capacity (0.05% typical) enabling precise thrust and torque blade measurements which was crucial to this renewable energy application.

A small ICA6H amplifier was fitted within the bodies of both the DDEN submersible load cells. At only 19mm diameter this amplifier is ideal for fitting inside the body of a load cell. An ICA6H amplifier was used in this application so it could easily fit within the load cell, maintaining the submersible protection needed for underwater testing. The ICA6H load cell amplifier delivered a high-level ±10Vdc analogue output, for use with their data acquisition and control systems.

Other outputs are available for the DDEN including 0-5Vdc, 0-10Vdc or 4-20mA, which can be used with many data acquisition and control systems. For a digital output, a DCell load cell digitiser can be used instead of an ICA to deliver a RS485 digital output.

@AppMeas #Pauto 

LCI Junction Box.

The intelligent LCI junction box from Applied Measurements, delivers continuous enhanced load cell alarm and fault monitoring for up to 4 load cells. This instant and constant fault monitoring means problems are detected immediately, increasing production safety and limiting costly downtime.

For multi-load cell applications it monitors each load cell independently and tells which load cell has a fault and exactly what the fault is. This allows switching out the faulty load cell quickly for fast repairs and also prevents batch wastage and overflow due to undetected load cell and cable faults.

How this junction box promises to save money!
1. Continuous Monitoring of Individual Load Cells
2. Immediate Alarm Activation when Faults Detected
3. Instant Fault Diagnostics
4. Increased Safety
5. Equipment Failure Downtime Reduced
6. Avoids Batch Wastage and Overflow
7. 5V Supply Option = Lower Power Consumption

This junction box not only continually monitors the load cells it also acts as a summing junction box, summing the connected load cells. The number of load cells may be selected easily on the display.

It doesn't come with any power connections as it uses the same excitation supply of the connected load cells. Plus, it now supports both 5V and 10V supply requiring even less power from the connected load cell.

The red 4 digit LED display shows which load cell is at fault and why.
When the system is functioning correctly the red 4 digit LED display shows "good". If an error is detected the display shows a code telling you which load cell is at fault and what the fault is.

There is an alarm LED on the LCI junction box board that lights up when a fault is detected in the system. There is also a relay output to drive an alarm to quickly alert engineers to a fault with the system.

 @AppMeas #Pauto

Versatile load cell.

The PW15iA Digital load cell, from HBM, offers a flexible and cost-effective solution to a wide range automated applications. This innovative load cell is fully adaptable and features a range of integrated functions - which include a wide range of algorithms for check weighing, filling and batching – which eliminates the need to undertake these functions separately.  This means that development times can be significantly reduced.  Compatible with industry standard dimensions (SP4M footprint), the new PW15iA load cell can also be quickly and easily integrated into existing systems, without any additional construction effort, minimising costly downtime.  Featuring an OIML certificate for C3, and a maximum scale division of Y up to 10,000, the new PW15iA dramatically improves speed whilst reducing overall costs, thereby increasing profitability. Designed to achieve a degree of IP68/IP69 protection, the PW15iA is an extremely robust load cell which is housed in stainless steel and is compatible with all cleaning agents and disinfectant agents, which are commonly used in the production process.  Precise, durable and reliable, the PW15iA from HBM can deal masterfully with malfunctions and can be integrated seamlessly into most existing designs.  Suitable for a wide range of applications, which include packaging machinery; the PW15iA is also suitable for automated batching and even underwater measurement applications and is the perfect solution where speed and precision is a key consideration. @HBMmeasurement #PAuto

Sealing bags!

Novuqare the med-tech instrument innovator, has developed a range of bag sealing machines for medical instruments that use specially modified ZEMIC miniature load cells to precisely measure sealing force. As an intrinsic part of the sterilisation process, the award winning ProSeal perfectly seals the instruments in special pouches in preparation for autoclave sterilisation.

The EN-ISO 11607-2 validated ProSeal range is being increasingly used in is used in hospitals, dentists, clinics and veterinary practises.

ZEMIC (represented in Britain by Variohm EuroSensor), worked closely with Novuqare, supplying prototypes and full series production versions of a custom adapted 1B-S miniature load cell. The IB-S is more commonly found in portable scales and laboratory balances where its lightweight aluminium housing combines with a well proven semiconductor strain gauge sensing element for 0.03% full scale accuracy and load capacity ratings from 5 kg to 70kg.

The company is one of the world’s largest sensor and transducer manufacturers with a comprehensive product range that includes single point or platform cells, compression cells, S-type, shear beam and dual shear beam load cells as well as spoke type designs. Load capacities ranging from a few hundred grams to over 500 Tons are available for applications as diverse as pricing scales to weighbridge platforms and from in-vehicle weighing systems to hopper scales. ZEMIC has several product lines with OIML-R60 'legal-for-trade' approval.

Variohm EuroSensor supports the full ZEMIC range with comprehensive technical support and service with stock delivery available for standard load cells as well as a custom design/modification capability and integration with other Variohm sensor technologies.

@Variohm #PAuto #Medical

Fault monitoring alarm system.

Mantracourt has launched a significant upgrade to its Load Cell Integrity Box and Fault Monitoring Alarm – the LCI. This innovative product has been designed to continuously monitor the condition of individual load cells and activates an alarm when faults in the system detected. The latest version now supports both 5V and 10V operation, the main advantage of which is that the new 5V operation requires less power consumption from the connected instruments and simplifies barrier selection.

The LCI is ideal for multi-load installations such as silos, tanks and other systems where the failure of an individual load cell can have serious consequences. Its fault monitoring capabilities provide an assured working system by continuous sampling of load cell channels, with an alarm being activated if any failure conditions are detected. All this results in a reduction of downtime via immediate alarm and fault diagnosis, resulting in cost and time savings.

Used in conjunction with host intelligent weighing instruments such as Mantracourt’s ADW15, LCA20, SMW, LCD20 or other third-party products, the LCI can be used to detect system failures such as material shortage, overflow or incorrect batching.

 “With the increased operating voltage range of 4-12V now supported, this opens the LCI up to a wider range of instruments and is a great addition to the Mantracourt product range” says Jonathan Purdue, Sales Manager at Mantracourt.

@mantracourt  #PAuto 

Domed top column load cell.

Applied Measurements have introduceed their smart new domed-top version of our existing column load cell which replaces the 0.25% accuracy CCD model that featured a flat top.

This new CCDDT domed-top version offers the following benefits:

• Better pricing on higher capacities
• Shorter delivery times:
  ONLY 4 weeks for capacities 200te and below, 5 weeks for 300 – 500te and 6 – 8 weeks for 1000te load cells. 
• IP67 environmental protection as standard

Including the fantastic new benefits above, the CCDDT domed top column load cell is also optionally available as an IP68-rated fully submersible device for use in arduous environments such as offshore oil and gas, marine and subsea applications.  The CCDDT offers accuracies of <±0.15%/RC on capacities up to 50te and <±0.25%/RC on capacities of 100te and above.

If those accuracies aren’t sufficient for your application we can offer the CCDHA high accuracy column load cell which is specially designed for use as a reference standard in verification and calibration systems, or in high accuracy monitoring and control systems, with an accuracy of <±0.10% of rated capacity.

Stainless steel toggle load links!

The TOG series of stainless steel toggle link load links from LCM Systems, used extensively throughout the oil and gas industries, is one of the most flexible ranges on the market. The load links are particularly suited to permanent installations where wire loads are being measured and have been designed for added flexibility.

The major benefit of these TOG load cells is that they are manufactured with a flexible configuration of end fittings. They can be supplied with fork/eye, eye/eye or fork/fork arrangements that means they are easy to install in a wide range of applications. Accuracy is also improved as the number of additional fittings required in the measurement path is reduced.

All load cells in the range are manufactured in stainless steel (17-4PH) and are environmentally sealed to IP67 (IP68 can also be supplied). This means that they are ideal for use in exposed situations and can withstand immersion in seawater. Load ranges are available from 750kg to 9500kg and the load cells can be supplied with amplified output and an integral connector, if required.

As with all load cells from LCM Systems, as well as the standard range, many special design options are available and the TOG link cells can be supplied either on their own or combined with instrumentation for a complete load monitoring system.

Typical applications include mooring and towing monitoring, anchor line tension, wireline measurement and structural testing.

Making force testing easier!

Designed to measure brake pedal force, the CCGBP brake pedal load cell, from Applied Measurements, is an essential tool to the automotive industry, testing the reliability of a vehicle’s braking system with ranges from 0-50kg up to 0-200kg. This highly versatile brake pedal load cell can also be used on other pedals within the vehicle.

Compact
Standing at a tiny 12.5mm high, the CCGBP brake pedal load cell is small enough to fit in the tightest of spaces and along with its integral mounting and loading plate, can deliver fast and simple installation directly onto the pedal. Plus, we can even customise the mounting plates and dimensions to make the load cell suit your specific application.

Need to measure brake pedal force on an even smaller pedal? Coming soon to the range is the CCGBPM miniature brake pedal load cell. Smaller than the standard CCGBP brake pedal load cell, this miniature version is small enough to fit on the pedals of a motorbike and will be available with measuring ranges from 0-50kg up to 0-200kg as standard.

Radial strain gauge arrangement
The CCGBP brake pedal load cell has a radial strain gauge arrangement which helps to minimise reading errors due to eccentric and off-axis loading, giving you more accurate data. That’s not all, we are so convinced of its robust design and stainless steel construction that the CCGBP brake pedal load cell and the miniature version CCGBPM both come with their 3 year warranty.

Instrumentation
As with all our transducers, the CCGBP brake pedal load cell can be provided with our wide range of instrumentation and is available on a 4-6 week lead time:

• In-line ICA miniature amplifiers (for mounting on the transducer cable) provide voltage or current outputs.
• TR150 hand held indicator – Has a dual range facility allowing calibration in 2 separate engineering units. Also features TEDS functionality and optional RS232 data output.
• INT2-L digital indicator allows for customisation of software for your exact application.
• T24 range of wireless radio telemetry delivers wireless monitoring.
• DSC-USB load cell interface converts the transducer input into a digital USB output direct to your PC.
• SGA load cell amplifiers – For a high stability, high speed, conditioned analogue output.

Submersible load cells!

“The DDEN series of submersible load cells was originally developed for a marine customer in Italy to measure precise mooring tension of buoys in the sea, as part of a wave energy research project. The DDENs compact design, IP68 submersible sealing and stainless steel construction made it ideal for use in this application and in numerous applications since then.” Peter Lewis Managing Director of Applied Meausurements.

"Don’t wait for better weather to do your tension and compression monitoring, use our DDEN series of submersible load cells. High humidity environments and flood risk locations are no match for this load cell."  With its IP68 fully submersible rating and robust stainless steel construction, it can accurately measure tension and compression down to 10m underwater (with greater depths available on request). The DDEN’s electrical termination is a tough IP68 multi-core cable connected through an IP68 cable gland, which further supports its fully submersible sealing.

Compact
The DDEN series of submersible load cells are unique in their compactness over their wide capacity range of 250N up to 50kN. Even at the top end of the capacity rating, the unit dimensions do not change – with a diameter of just 44mm and a length of 65mm. Along with its compact size, the DDEN submersible load cells also come with integral male threads for in-line mounting. Its compact size and in-line mounting enables the load cells to be installed in a wide variety of applications where conventional load cells such as s-beams will not fit. The image below shows our miniature ICA amplifiers fitted inside the DDEN submersible load cell. These miniature ICA amplifiers give a direct amplified output from the sensor, offering outputs in; 0-5Vdc, 0-10Vdc, 4-20mA and ±10Vdc. The DDEN submersible load cell is then sealed with ‘O’ rings to allow for permanent use underwater whilst still maintaining its compact size.

Low Deflection and High Natural Frequency/Applications
In addition, the DDEN’s low deflection and high natural frequency also makes the load cell perfect for cable tension monitoring, marine and offshore applications, mooring lines, hydrodynamic and materials testing. We are pleased to have seen the DDEN series of submersible load cells being used in a number of other applications too such as mast stays on racing yachts, which must be kept tuned to a very high level at all times.

Customisation Available
This fantastically flexible DDEN submersible load cell can be customised to suit your specific application from thread length, spherical seating rod end bearings, female adaptors, cable length, various analogue outputs such as millivolt, 4-20mA, 0-10Vdc and greater submersible depths.

Peter Lewis continues: “We can customise the DDEN series of submersible load cells for specific applications, whilst still offering the customers the same lead time as our standard range.”

ATEX certified load cells and accessories!

LCM Systems has launched a brand new range of ATEX/IECEx certified, hazardous area load cells and enclosures. This ATEX/IECEx certification authenticates that LCM Systems’ load cells can be used in Zone 1 and 2 hazardous areas without danger of causing or contributing to an explosion when used in flammable gas and dust environments. These environments include offshore drilling platforms, petrochemical plants, flour mills and any other industries where there is a possibility of a mixture of potentially explosive gases, vapours, mists or dusts being present in the air. 

Speaking about the introduction of these new products, Steve Sargeant, Managing Director says: “Everyone at LCM Systems has been working hard towards the launch of this important new range. As with all our products, these load cells are manufactured to the highest industry standards to ensure that our customers can be completely confident they are getting the best in terms of quality, reliability and accuracy. We are delighted that we can now deliver load measurement solutions to industries around the world that have a requirement to measure loads within Zone 1 and 2 hazardous areas.”

As well as a standard range of ATEX load cells including load pins, load cells, load shackles and load links ranging in capacity from 2 to 1000+ tonnes, LCM Systems can also provide customised products designed specifically to meet exact customer requirements. All ATEX load cells are supplied with full environmental protection, ATEX certification and a certificate of calibration. Additionally, amplifiers and displays that can form a complete measurement system for potentially explosive atmospheres can also be supplied. 

Load cell manufacturer appointment!

LCM Systems has appointed Stacey Bond as Internal Sales Engineer for its range of load cells and instrumentation.

Appointment!

Based at their headquarters in the Isle of Wight (GB), Stacey will be the first point of contact for customers old and new looking to purchase either ex-stock or custom design load cells.

Stacey brings with her many years’ experience in technical sales and customer service and has worked in some of the main markets served by LCM Systems including oil, gas, petroleum and the chemical industry.

Speaking about the new appointment, Steve Sargeant, Managing Director at LCM Systems says: “We are delighted to welcome Stacey to the team here at LCM. Her industry expertise and excellent customer liaison skills are already proving a valuable asset to the company.”