Load cells for platform and floor scales
The workhorse application. Four cells under a platform, a junction box, and a reading that has to hold calibration on a shop floor for years.
Platform scales cover everything from a bench scale to a pallet scale. The mechanical arrangement is well understood, but the difference between a scale that stays accurate and one that drifts is almost always in the mounting rather than the cell.
What actually goes wrong
These are the failure modes we see repeatedly in platform and floor scales installations. In most of them, better hardware would not have helped.
Off-centre loading
A single point cell is designed to correct for off-centre load; a shear beam is not. Using the wrong type gives an error that looks like a drifting scale.
Corner trim
A platform on four cells needs each corner trimmed to match. Without a junction box with trim adjustment, no amount of cell accuracy compensates.
Impact loading
Pallet trucks and loaded trolleys hit platforms hard. Shock overload events shorten cell life long before the static rating is reached.
Temperature across the platform
A platform near a loading door sees the sun on one side and shade on the other. The cells do not see the same temperature.
Models used in this application
These are the models our engineers usually start from for platform and floor scales. The specification on each product page is the full one — no abbreviated versions.
SP-200
Single-point
5 kg / 10 kg / 20 kg / 50 kg / 100 kg / 200 kg / 300 kg
- Accuracy
- C3
- Protection
- IP65
- Combined error
- ≤ 0.02 %F.S
- Creep
- ≤ 0.015 %F.S
SB-200
Single-ended shear beam
25 kg / 50 kg / 100 kg / 200 kg / 500 kg / 1 t / 2 t
- Accuracy
- C3
- Protection
- IP67
- Combined error
- ≤ 0.02 %F.S
- Creep
- ≤ 0.015 %F.S
DB-10
Double-ended shear beam
5 t / 10 t / 15 t / 20 t / 30 t / 40 t
- Accuracy
- C3
- Protection
- IP67
- Combined error
- ≤ 0.03 %F.S
- Creep
- ≤ 0.03 %F.S
Selection notes
- Single point up to about 300 kg for small platforms; shear beam beyond that
- Junction box with corner trim is part of the design, not an accessory
- Size for the maximum load including the platform weight and impact
- For vehicle weighbridges, use double-ended shear beam cells
Platform and floor scales questions
When do I need a single point cell instead of a shear beam?
Single point for platforms up to roughly 300 kg, because it is engineered to correct for off-centre loading. Shear beam for anything heavier, and for platforms where the load may be applied at the edge rather than the centre.
How many load cells does a platform scale need?
Three or four. Three is the economic minimum for a rectangular platform; four gives better stability and distributes the load more evenly on a larger platform. Divide the maximum load between them and size each cell above its share.
Why does my platform scale need re-calibrating?
Almost always the mounting rather than the cell. Movement at the feet, a shim that has worked loose, or a junction box whose trim has drifted will change the reading. A corner-adjustment check takes five minutes and identifies it immediately.
Do I need corner trim adjustment?
On any platform with more than one cell, yes. Without it the platform sits on whichever cells happen to be highest, and the load distribution is not what the corner correction assumes. A junction box with trim potentiometers is the minimum.
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