TABLE OF CONTENTS Force transducers are constructed in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. The basic types include load cells, load buttons, and load washers.
Force can be defined as the condition or influence that attempts to change the speed and direction of a body that is stationary or already moving. This change in speed or in velocity is the acceleration that the body undergoes as a result of the force being applied to it. The direction of the acceleration is the same as the direction of the applied force.
The basic equation describing force is as follows:
In more general terms, force is the amount of pushing or pulling that is being applied to an object. Force sensors or load transducers are used to measure this pushing or pulling. To measure the applied force, the load transducer must be located between the object and the source of the force. When pushing, the transducer is said to be compressed or to be in compression. When pulling, the transducer is being stretched or is in tension. Some load transducers only measure compression loads, while others measure only tension loads. Universal load transducers measure both compression and tension loads.
Load transducers operate by measuring the strain that is produced in a material as a result of an applied force. This force applied over a unit area is known as the stress. At low stress levels, the material will change shape as a result of the stress...
