What is a Load Cell and what are they used for?

The simple way to understand the purpose of a Load Cell is to think of a simple scale or weighing device. The Load Cell provides a method for measuring weight or pressure placed on a surface. They were first created using a strain technique whereby how much a physical material “strained” or “stretched” was measured which could then be calculated into a numerical figure. Problems with this method were when sudden surges in loads, shocks or vibrations occurred the measurement would be inaccurate and in some cases would require re-calibration. The output was also analogue which in today’s digital society often meant a new piece of kit would be required to convert the analogue signal into a digital one allowing it to be hooked up to the full system. The load cell saw a huge improvement with the development of digital load cells whereby a non-contact method was used. Instead of measuring the actual strain of a physical material, the capacitive variance was measured instead. This allowed for more sensitive load cells to be created and provided an instant digital output which was more accurate and much more resilient to shocks and vibrations.