Revere Transducers
Revere Transducers are more commonly known as load cells. They are electronic devices that convert force into electrical signals that become readable to a computer. Revere transducers are prominently used in heavy industries such as construction.
Conversion in Two Stages
Load cells are called transducers because they convert one form of energy into another. Unlike with most types of transducers however, here the transformation process is indirect. It goes through two stages before the conversion is completed.
When force is applied to the revere transducer, what happens is that a strain gauge inside it gets deformed. The strain gauge, which is a device in itself, then converts this deformation, the recorded strain, into an electrical signal.
Load cells can have up to four strain gauges, depending on application requirements. A given strain gauge may be more sensitive to strain in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction and vice versa.
Signal Amplification
The scale of the ensuing electrical signal is minute. Normally, it is only in the order of millivolts. To render the signal interpretable requires magnification. The device that does this amplification is called an instrumentation amplifier.
Using the amplified signal output as the variable, the force is then calculated with a special algorithm. Hence, force is converted and computed.
Applications
The industrial applications of revere transducers are far ranging. They are used in electronic and wireless crane scales, tank and vessel weighing, onboard weighing, railcar weighing, truck weighing, and any other form of force or tension measurement. Load cells are also useful in monitoring structural health and even locating the center of gravity of an object through its weight.
For adaptability, different types of revere transducers have been built. There are load cells that are for the different kinds of scales—platform, belt, single-point belt, overhead track and pallet. There are those solely for platforms, weighbridges, silo and suspended hopper weighing, and packaging machines.
Although strain gauge load cells are by far the most common type of revere transducers, hydraulic load cells are also used occasionally. These hydrostatic load cells are unaffected by passing voltages such as lightning, so they may be safer to use for outdoor measurements.