Load Cell Selection Guidelines

When you measure forces or loads, in addition to the capacity and size of the load cell, a

number of application requirements need to be carefully considered. These include:

Operating Temperature Conditions (Well controlled, room temperature or outdoor,

harsh environments with changing humidity and temperature)

Duration of measurement (Short term measurement with a Tare or longer term

measurements where Tare is not feasible)

Absolute Accuracy Required (as a percentage of full scale output or as a percentage

of reading)

Direction of loading (tension or compression or both)

Certifications Needed (for trade applications needing NTEP or OIML certifications or

test and measurement needing ASTM E-74 OR R & D)

Mounting Options (Fasten sensor on both sides or no need for fastening at all)

Output required (Analog mV/V, 0-5V, 4-20mA, Digital USB, Digital Wireless, Digital

RS-232/485)

Measurement Speed (1Hz or up to 100Hz or faster than 100Hz)

Total cost of operation (small quantity or large volumes)

In general, Loadstar Sensors' capacitive load cells are an excellent integrated solution for

measuring forces/loads for R & D environments. They offer high sensitivities in a very

rugged package with easy mounting options to incorporate into your application. Loadstar

Sensors’ sensors offers direct connectivity to PCs and make it effortless to write software

applications. These are suitable for a wide variety of general purpose applications.

When you need very high accuracies, NTEP/OIML Certifications and need long term stability,

for those applications Loadstar Sensors recommend you use resistive load cells with either

the DI-1000 Series Digital Load Cell Interfaces or the AI-1000 Series Analog Interfaces for

your application. If you are still unsure about which type of load cell you may need feel free

to contact Loadstar Sensors.

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