Zemic Whitepapers

Load cells are essential in the weighing industry. A load cell is a sensor that is used to convert a force (usually a weight) into an electrical signal. This whitepaper explains in a short way which factors are important in the choice and design of load cells.

When selecting load cells for a particular application…
You must consider;

- Which type of load cell to use
- Which mounting accessories are needed
- The number of cells to use
- The capacity of the cells
- The environmental protection required
- Whether legal for trade is required
- Whether overload protection is necessary
- The overall accuracy required
- The budget available

Only when all these parameters have been considered a choice can be made. In this whitepaper we inform you about the most important load cell topics such as a selection of the right model and it’s installation.

Zemic Europe has over 50 years of experience in developing, producing and selling strain gauges. This is the heart of the weighing and force industry and is used in so many products. We therefore felt it was important to write a whitepaper on this subject, in which questions such as:

- What is a strain gauge
- Why do you use a strain gauge
- How a strain gauge works
- Materials and properties
- How to bond strain gauges
- How to make a choice of a strain gauge

Will be explained shortly and to the point so that you know the basics of the weighing and force industry. Please know that if you want more information about strain gauges or Zemic Europe we are there for you. Feel free to contact us and ask us about this topic!

The explosive growth in the use of micro-electronics within the process weighing industry has moved some of the emphasis away from traditional weighing skills to that of the engineer. Whilst not undermining their skill, the basic laws of mechanics have not changed and however sophisticated a control system may be, certain fundamental considerations must be adhered to, to ensure a reliable and accurate system. Within reason a system is only as good as its transducers and moreover the way they are mounted.

This whitepaper sets out to explain, in a straightforward manner, some of the factors which should be considered when choosing and designing load cells into systems. Guidelines are given for simple platforms as well as more complex multi-cell systems.