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Weighing Sensor Applications and Innovative Use Cases

The advancements in sensor technologies have expanded the capabilities of how accurate data can improve performance of weighing equipment, tools, machines, components, and products. Design and manufacturing engineers are using precision weight measurements today with higher frequency to improve durability, usability, and reliability.

What has changed in the last decade that has spurred this high demand for weighing sensor technologies? Primarily it is related to the capabilities and features. This includes the ruggedization of load cell form factors to withstand harsh conditions, wireless capabilities to transmit and analyze data for continuous monitoring, smaller sensors like load buttons, ease of use and installation, and submersible options. There is also a growing requirement to design weighing sensors into a product to activate components for real-time user feedback and ensure safety.

Examples of how sensors in weighing applications are supporting innovation are abundant. Manufacturers utilize weight in design, build and supply. Defined weight is used in most product specifications, which requires precise accuracy in measurement. Utilizing precision force sensing solutions and instrumentation allows product engineers and manufacturers of all types to collect data in real time. IoT enabled weighing and scale solutions are frequently used in the modernization of products and industrial automation.

Interface supplies highly accurate and reliable load cells and sensor technologies for weighing and scale solutions. Industry use cases range from medical bag weighing to ice machine weighing. Weighing and scales must be dependable and always provide correct data. Precision sensors are a critical part of this requirement.

Common Weighing Use Cases for Advanced Sensor Technologies

  • Center of gravity testing
  • Inventory management and control
  • Batching and packaging
  • Check weighing
  • Process control
  • Sample testing and material testing
  • Equipment safety monitoring
  • Transportation technologies
  • All types of scales

The abilities to use precision weighing sensor devices in the form of load pins, load shackles, tension links, load beams, miniature load cells, and wireless load cells continues to expand the boundaries beyond what has been known as test and measurement. Facilities and cities use connected force sensing trash receptacles for optimizing schedules of waste management companies to reduce costs and increase efficiencies.  Innovative smart pallet force sensing helps to track products and goods at the dock to reduce expenses and increase productivity. Silo weighing for inventory management. Setpoints are configured to automatically generate purchase orders when product levels fall below a defined threshold.

Additional applications recently featured in Weighing Your Options Webinar demonstrate how Interface weighing solutions support breakthrough use cases and inventive new products. Here are a few examples of these weighing applications.

Tank Weighing and Center of Gravity Using Weighcheck Load Cells

Interface’s customer needs to monitor the amount of material in a tank by weight and locate the center of gravity. The proposed solution is to use Interface’s A4200 Zinc Plated or A4600 Stainless Steel Weighcheck Load Cells, along with Interface instrumentation 1280 Programmable Weight Indicator and Controller. Interface provided a solution that monitors the amount of material by weight in their tank while locating the center of gravity. Watch as Ken Bishop demonstrates the A4200 and A4600 weighcheck load cells  https://youtu.be/G6NA84I73Zo .

Produce Weighing Using Platform Scale Load Cells

A customer owns and operates a fruit packaging plant. They want to weigh the bins full of fruit that are loaded onto conveyor belts that transfer the fruit to other steps of the distribution process. Interface suggests installing SPI Low Capacity Platform Scale Load Cells, along with WTS-AM-1E Wireless Strain Bridge Transmitter Modules, in the center of the platforms the bins of fruit are loaded on. The WTS-AM-1E’s wirelessly transmit the data collected from the SPI’s to the WTS-BS-1-HA Wireless Handheld Display for multiple transmitters, and the WTS-BS-6 Wireless Telemetry Dongle Base Station when connected to a computer. Results can be graphed, logged, and seen during operation using this system.

Livestock Weighing System Use Sealed Beam Load Cells

A rancher wants to accurately weigh their cows for multiple reasons. They want to make sure their cows are at a healthy weight and want to maintain their weight. But they also want to know the optimal time for breeding based on the weight of their livestock. Interface’s solution is to bolt four SSB Sealed Beam Load Cells at the bottom of a metal platform, that is placed on the inside of the customer’s cattle cage. Once the cow has walked onto the plate, the SSB Sealed Beam Load Cells will measure the force pressure applied. With all four connected to JB104SS Junction Box, which is then connected to the 480 Bidirectional Weight Indicator combined accurate weight results for real-time display.

Crane Weighing Verification Using Wireless Tension Link Load Cells

A customer wants to verify that their crane is strong enough to safely lift a heavy load, at its rated maximum load capacity. A wireless solution helps to avoid long cables and for faster installation time. Interface WTSLTL Lightweight Wireless Tension Link Load Cells can measure the load’s maximum capacity. The WTS-RM1 Wireless Relay Output Receiver Modules also can trigger an alarm that can be set when the maximum capacity of weight/force has been reached. The data is transmitted and can be reviewed with the WTS-BS-1-HS Wireless Handheld Display.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Cranes and Lifting

Garbage Truck On-Board Weighing

CPG Snack Weighing and Packaging Machine

Weighing Your Options Webinar Recap

CPG Veterinary Weighing Scales

CPG Water Bottle Dispensing and Weighing

CPG Water Bottle Dispensing and Weighing App Note

 

 

Interface Mini Load Cells Growing in Product Use and Testing

One of the biggest manufacturing trends over the past decade is the miniaturization of hardware components. Reducing the size and weight of products and the components, while increasing the power of complex technology systems, is growing in use across all industry segments using force measurement in design and production.

The growing trend to utilize sensor technology in miniaturized products has been especially significant in the medical, consumer products, technology and robotics industries. These industries are looking to fit more force and measurement capabilities into a package that is the same size, or in many cases, considerably smaller than previous generations of like products.

To address this expanding trend, Interface Mini™ Load Cells were designed specifically for light touch, light weight, high accuracy, and robust performance to utilize for OEM products and smaller testing applications in confined spaces. Our miniature load cells provide exceedingly accurate measurements, similar to our full-size load cells and utilize our proprietary alloy strain gages. Capacities are available as low as 0.11 lbf / 0.5 N and as high as 100 kN.

These small-scale load cells are engineered and manufactured to provide extremely accurate output data with the same degree of precision performance as our standard load cells. OEM’s must have this sort of precision force technology because many of the devices being made today are minuscule and more complex in comparison to earlier products and testing application use cases.

In the medical device industry, innovative and often small new products are used in various life-saving applications. Any inaccuracy or miscalculation of force can have devastating effects. Take a look at how our Interface LBS Miniature Compression Load Button Load Cell and 9330 High Speed Data Logging Indicator were used to record the force measurements when designing and testing vascular clamp surgical devices. You can also read about the Vascular Clamp application note here.

In our earlier Mini Load Cells 101 blog, we discussed the features and benefits of Mini Load Cells in detail. Today, we are highlighting some of our best-selling and new Mini Load Cell solutions available from Interface.

QS48 TruckSpecial Note: A large variety of our standard miniature load cells are available today through our QS48 e-commerce site for easy online ordering. Click here to order now through our QuickShip program and get your mini’s in as little as 48 hours! If you need something specifically customized, reach out to our expert application engineers who can work with you to design custom miniature load cells that will fit your exact requirements.

INTERFACE MINI™ LOAD CELLS

MB Miniature Beam Load Cell

Model MB is a miniature beam load cell used in medical test machines and a variety of low capacity applications. Performance on this product is +/- 0.03% FS and available capacities are 5 to 250 lbf (22.2 N to 1.11 kN).

Product Features:

  • Proprietary Interface temperature compensated strain gages
  • Performance to 0.03%
  • Low height – 1-inch max
  • Eccentric load compensated
  • ±0.0008% /˚F – max temperature effect on output
  • Low deflection

MBP Overload Protected Miniature Beam Load Cell

Model MBP series load cells provide similar performance to Model MB series with the added safeguard of internal overload protection. This patented overload protection is accomplished via hard stops that are EDM machined into the load cell flexure. This provides greater overload protection (2.5-10lbf ±1000% of full-scale capacity, 100 N ±500% of full-scale capacity), giving the user added protection in more severe applications.

Product Features:

  • Proprietary Interface temperature compensated strain gages
  • 10x overload protection
  • Low height – 1in max
  • 0.0008%F temp. effect on output
  • 5′ Integral Cable (custom lengths available upon request)
  • NIST Traceable Calibration Certificate

WMC Sealed Stainless Steel Miniature Load Cell

Interface Model WMC Stainless Steel Miniature Load Cell is excellent for industrial applications because of its stainless steel, sealed, environmentally protected construction. This product is available in capacities ranging from 5 to 500 lbf (22 to 2200 N).  Submersible versions of this product are available as well.

Product features:

  • Environmentally sealed tension and compression load cell
  • Proprietary Interface temperature compensated strain gages
  • Tension and compression
  • Small Size
  • Stainless Steel Construction
  • Submersible

SSM and SSM2 Sealed S-Type Load Cells

Model SSM is a moderately priced highly-accurate sealed load cell for test machines and other general purpose applications. This product is available in capacities ranging from 50 to 10K lbf (200 N to 50 kN).

Product Features:

  • Proprietary Interface temperature compensated strain gages
  • Environmentally sealed
  • 0.02% non-repeatability
  • 0.0008%/°F (0.0015%/°C) temp. effect on output
  • 0.025% creep
  • Tension and compression

LBM Compression Load Button Load Cell

Model LBM Compression Load Button is very popular.  It is constructed from stainless steel and has a small size. This product is available capacities range from 25 lbf up to 50K lbf.

Product Features:

  • Temperature compensated
  • Integral load button
  • Small diameter
  • Environmentally sealed
  • Stainless steel

LBS Miniature Load Button Load Cell

Model LBS Miniature Compression Load Button is constructed from stainless steel and has a small size. This product is available capacities range from 5 lbf up to 1K lbf (22.2 N to 4.45 kN).

Product Features:

  • Temperature compensated
  • Integral load button
  • Small diameter
  • From 0.12″ height

LWPF1 Press Force Load Washer Load Cell

Model LWPF1 Press Force Load Cell is one of several load washer load cells available from Interface. It features a large thru-hole and short overall height. This product is available in capacities ranging from 2 kN to 100 kN (450 to 22.5K lbf).

Product Features:

  • Short height
  • Large thru hole
  • For press-force monitoring

BPL Pedal Load Cell

BPL Pedal Load CellThe Model BPL is a very LowProfile® load cell is used for measuring force on brake pedals. Interface Model BPL has the lowest sensitivity to off-center loading available and will outperform any competitive model.

Product Features:

  • Lowest nonlinearity and hysteresis of any brake pedal load cell – < 0.05%
  • Ultra-low height
  • Low sensitivity to off-axis loads
  • Mounts directly to pedal with included strap(s)
  • Interchangeable mounting plates
  • For use with gas, brake or clutch pedal
  • Storage case included

There are more than 30 different Interface Mini Load Cells and sensors available, in addition to our ability to provide modified and custom Mini Load Cells solutions. To find the Interface Mini that works for your needs, or to learn more about our expanding lineup of load cells and torque transducers, please visit /products/.