Interface dual shear load cells are strain gage sensors supported at both ends, with the force applied directly at the center of the beam. A double-ended shear beam load cell design is used in the high-performing Interface LowProfiles and load pins. The dual-ended design distributes force symmetrically across two matched shear webs. Strain gages are bonded to the machined webs inside the beam and configured in a full Wheatstone bridge circuit to convert mechanical shear stress into an electrical mV/V signal.

Interface defines hysteresis as the algebraic difference between the load cell's output at a specific load when approached from an increasing direction versus a decreasing direction. Hysteresis represents a physical limit of the sensor's design. Hysteresis is typically expressed as a percentage of Full Scale (%FS) on a sensor's data sheet or calibration certificate. Learn more about this vital characteristic in Interface's Hysteresis 101.

Contact resonance can significantly damage measurement accuracy and even cause system failure. Interface 101 Series details how inherent mechanical clearances within the measurement system can turn harmless transient forces into potentially destructive oscillations. Contact resonance is a form of self-excited oscillation that occurs in mechanical systems involving mass, stiffness, and a clearance. Interface Load Cells 301 Characteristics and Applications Guide covers this important topic.