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Why you should use Eilersen load cells for demanding applications

Eilersen Capacitive Load Cells offer many advantages for demanding applications when compared to Strain Gage based Load Cells. Such advantages include but are not limited to high sensitivity and small deflection, ease of installation, overload and shock tolerance, overall cost of installation and maintenance and flexibility of use.

Here we discuss just two of the advantages: the non-contact capacitive sensor vs. the stress measuring strain gage principle and the difference in load cell cables.

Eilersen Load Cells patented non-contact method

With respect to using Load Cells for demanding applications, Eilersen Load Cells patented non-contact method of measurement offers longer life spans when compared to the stress measuring principle used in strain gage Load Cells.

Capacitive sensor technology

To achieve this, Eilersen Load Cells use a capacitive sensor which when placed at a small distance from the elastic element measures the deformation change without any actual contact between the sensor and the element. This means that the load cell element must be overloaded up to 10 times before the sensor is in contact with the load cell element.

Compare this to the strain gage principle where a resistance foil is bonded directly to the elastic element. Hence the resistance foil itself is constantly exposed to the strains of the load cell along with any shocks and overloads that are always present in demanding industrial applications.

More advantages

Another advantage in using the Eilersen capacitive load cells is that the output is digital compared to the analog mV output of the strain gage load cells. This feature enables Eilersen load cells to be fitted with a single wire low cost coaxial cable which allows for simple hermetically sealing.

The load cell cable can even be up to hundred meters long and transmits the load or force directly in the desired scale - g, kg, tons, or Newton. The coaxial cable is also well known for its EMC shielding properties.

Compare this to the multi wire cable on a strain gage load cell which makes it very difficult and expensive to achieve IP68 protection without a complicated system of traps and multi pole hermetic feed through connections.

Long cable - low cost

The digital output from the Eilersen load cells means that the cable length can be changed (shortened or extended) without affecting the load cell calibration. Furthermore, the single wire coaxial cable only costs a fraction of a multi wire cable making it affordable to use long load cell cable lengths. As an additional feature, many of the Eilersen load cells are also designed so it is possible to replace the load cell cables on-site.

Maintenance free use load cells

The Eilersen load cells contain no moving parts and do not include any organic material, which guarantees a maintenance free use under the most difficult environmental conditions for long periods of time. Furthermore, a weighing system with Eilersen capacitive load cells requires no maintenance as there are no mounting and protection devices to adjust and keep clean and no fuses, gaskets, bearings etc. to change.