Load Cell Handling

Load Cell Handling

It is important to be knowledgeable about your load cell before handling such a sensitive device.

Please view the following video for basic tips on handling: https://youtu.be/ah3yxFmwBas

Another particularity of single-axis load cells is that the "sensor side" is removeable. This does not damage the load cell and can easily be reinserted into the bottom thread.
In fact, if an accessory is every overtightened and is difficult to remove, you can remove this bottom piece and separate the accessory without damaging the internal strain gauge.


Common questions/methods for troubleshooting a load cell:
  1. Does the load cell calibrate properly with a calibration weight in the Mach-1 Motion software? (Value should be near 0.950-1.050)

  2. You can perform a WAIT function after installing the load cell to see the drift. WAIT(hh:mm:ss) for 15-30mins for example. This will show how long the load cell takes to stabilize with time and temperature. The load cell should stabilize once its temperature has settled.

  3. After the load cell has been tared (ZERO LOAD), you can apply a small force with a finger and see if the load cell returns to the same reading afterwards. Keep in mind touching the load cell will cause some heat to be transferred, but this will give a good idea of the ability of the load cell to re-settle to a baseline value.

  4. A common indicator that the load cell has been overloaded/damaged is that the “Offset” has changed drastically. This value is logged in any data .txt file every time a test is saved, so you can likely find examples from past dates of this value compared to the value now.


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