Load cell

A load cell or force sensor is a device that converts force or load into an electrical signal; a set of digital bathroom scales likely uses at least one load cell. There are many different types of weighing sensors, but ours are strain gauge load cells. The load cell itself is a mechanical structure designed so that a part of it deforms linearly proportional to the applied force or load. This part of the load cell is equipped with strain gauges. A strain gauge is a resistance device that changes its resistance when it is stretched; this converts the physical parameter (the mechanical deformation of the load cell) into an electrical signal.

Load cells are used in all applications where you need to measure a load or force.Everything from weighing a truck (on a bridge scale) to measuring the force required to insert one component into another. Load cells (or force sensors) are often used in conjunction with LVDT displacement transducers, allowing the properties of a test specimen to be measured (i.e., how far it extends for a given force).