Tension Load Cells

There are various styles of load cells, including tension, shear beam, compression, tension and compression, column, single point and others. This article focuses on tension load cells and how they work. Tension load cells (force sensors) are used to convert tension into an electrical signal.  With high quality tension load cells, electrical noise can be reduced in facilities and the equipment/motors can run more smoothly.  Material tension can be defined and adjusted with preciseness.  Tension control using load cells can help improve quality and manufacturing conditions for future operation.  Also, weighing and batching is made easier in industries dealing with chemicals, cement, steel, plastics, etc. Tension Load Cell Benefits During the production process, there are constant changes in the material, temperature and humidity fluctuations, changes in the winding diameter and other factors.  Without tension control with load cells, these changes would result in continuous changes in the tension of the material.  A few production processes that benefit by using tension load cells include slitting, winding and unwinding, printing and coating

How It Works

Using load cell technology and the closed loop tension control principle, the material’s tension can be measured accurately.  A load cell amplifier is used to measure the signal from the load cell and calculate an output value (also called signal conditioning).  This value is then converted by the brake, drive or clutch into the appropriate speed or torque needed for accuracy and control.

When a load or force is applied to the load cell, the load cell changes shape, thus causing deflection and modifying the resistance of the strain gauge.  This in turn changes the voltage output.  Load cells will return to their original shape once the load has been removed, providing the weight of the load did not exceed the load cell’s operating capacity.

Carotron’s LVDT Load Cells, for example, have a 22 – 2200 Lb. capacity, with a mechanical design that allows for extremely high overloads without damaging the unit.  To learn more about these tension load cells, you can view a brochure, features, sizing, sensor configurations, dimensions and more at our site’s product section.

Resource/Copyright Info: This motor control article about tension load cells is under © Copyright of Carotron, Inc., your source for high quality DC and AC motor drives and other industrial motion control products to keep your operation running smoothly.