Sensors & Transducers


Loadtech takes the weight off

October 2010 Sensors & Transducers

According to Loadtech it has for many years been involved in the design and manufacture of load cells in a wide variety of applications and has worked closely with its customers to ensure the successful implementation. The company says it has also seen many applications failing from incorrect design and been able to assist with rectifying these through the availability of knowledge and the experience to plan and implement systems that are right first time and deliver payback from day one.

Loadtech says its methodology when tackling a project involves the following:

* Firstly, it identifies the operating environment. What is the total load and how is it distributed? Is the installation outdoors or indoors? Is it an explosive area or does it pose other safety hazards? Is the movement of the load restricted and is it static or dynamic in nature?

* Secondly, it establishes the required accuracy. In most cases only a part of the operating range of the load sensor will be used. The lower part of the range is taken up by the empty (tare) weight of the system. Tare weights are anything from 5–50% of the load sensors capacity. Allowance must be made for unexpected overload conditions so that the sensors are not damaged if a fault occurs in the plant or plant control system. This leaves an operating range of between 30 and 70% of the full sensor range. A large tare weight will have a significant effect on the accuracy that can be achieved. In some cases where small quantities of an expensive component are added to a batch, a secondary smaller/lighter batching system will need to run in parallel with the batching system to ensure the correct weight of the expensive additive. Cement being added to a batch of concrete is a good example of this.

For more information contact John Harrison, Loadtech, +27 (0)12 661 0830, [email protected], www.loadtech.co.za



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