DIGITAL DMS BASED
LOAD CELLS OPEN THE
DOOR TO NEW MARKETS
With the manufacturing industry demanding technology that is both accurate and
affordable, Bernd Knöll, Product Manager, HBM GmbH, looks at how new digital
DMS based load cells can open the door of opportunity to machine manufacturers.
A
s continuous growth, high
competitive pressure and
large production quantities in
the manufacturing industry
look set to continue, particularly within
expanding markets such as China, India
and East Asia, the entire processing
chain, including manufacturers of
packaging machines and checkweighers,
is placed under greater performance
pressure than ever before. Confronted
with the demand for ever increasing
precision and higher speeds for
packaging – often with expectations
of reduced costs at the same time –
machine manufacturers are faced with a
challenge.
8
PECM Issue 17
The core of weighing and packaging
processes
One of the most crucial components
for constructing powerful packaging
machines is the load cell. Up until
recently, manufacturers of checkweighers
have had to rely on load cells which were
based on the principle of electromagnetic
force compensation (EFC), although this
has been at a relatively high component
cost.
But there is an alternative which has
been in development for some years
but is now readily available: digital load
cell based strain gauge (SG) technology,
which offers up to 60% cost savings in
comparison to load cells based on EFC.
But does this new age of digital load cell
technology compromise on the speed
and accuracy of EFC sensors traditionally
found in packaging machines? And is
the arrival of digital load cells the right
answer for machinery manufacturers to
develop products for new markets?
The hard facts
Precision and speed are the two
determining criteria for load cells,
ultimately because both factors save
cost; precision because it makes for
improved safety margins, and speed
because faster weighing means greater