What is a Bending Beam Load Cell?

The load cell is one of the main sensors commonly used in the weighing industry, and is the most common load cell used today.

Like all other modern load cells, beam load cells are actually sensors that convert force or weight into electrical signals through strain gauges. The beam load cell has a variety of shapes and sizes and can be adapted to a variety of applications. Generally, they all have a relatively low vertical profile relative to their length. This is in contrast to some cylindrical compression load cells.

When a load is applied to the bending beam type load cell, the body of the load cell will bend due to the elasticity of the metal material made of it. A strain gauge placed on a convex surface will stretch, while a strain gauge placed on a concave surface will shrink. Make its resistance change, and cause the voltage across the circuit to change. This is very convenient for realizing a full-bridge circuit or temperature compensation. They tend to provide a large amount of strain or deflection under a small force, which makes them suitable for small batch applications.

Beam load cells represent the largest and most versatile load cell group, covering a wide range of possible capacities, diversified installation options and accessories. They are usually fixed at one end, while the other end is free, working like a simple cantilever, and bends slightly when subjected to force or weight. When single point sensors cannot be used, they are usually combined with large weighing equipment and scales. It behaves much like a diving board, although there is also a double-ended design, with both ends installed in the middle, which is more similar to a hammock. In addition, it is common to divide beam load cells into two sub-categories, depending on their measurement the way of force or weight. The bending beam element measures the amount of bending deformation that occurs when the shear beam element measures the shear deformation.

Although beam load cells look similar to traditional load cells at first glance, their working principles are different. A groove is machined on each side of the load cell, and a relatively thin vertical web is left in the middle. This makes the cross-sectional appearance of the load cell similar to the I-beam in the structure, and like them, most of the shear strain is concentrated on this thin vertical web. In comparison, beam load cells have excellent resistance to lateral forces and have become very popular in medium and high-capacity applications.

Our company has a variety of beam weighing sensors available for purchase, which can accommodate large and small batch orders. All our products are completely manufactured by us, thus ensuring high-quality materials and excellent manufacturing quality. If you need something unique, we can also provide you with customized solutions.