Need help finding a good button load cell

[Richard Dierking]

I'm using a small (25 mm dia) button load cell for a static test stand. I built it to test small motors, but presently, I'm using it to check electric motors with propellers and electric ducted fans (EDF's).
I believe the capacity of the load cell is 50 kg, and I obtained it through Amazon.
With this load cell it's difficult to obtain a stable tare and its recovery, say if there's a load on it and removed, it poor. This can cause it to be off a hundred grams or more for following measurements. I'm using a good quality analog to digital converter that is capable of high resolution and the system is Arduino based.

If you are familiar with this application would you please advise on a source for a good quality and not-too-expensive button load cell? I know that real good ones (with Brand names like Omega) can be very expensive. I'm willing to spend a hundred $ or maybe more if I can obtain good results.

Thank you

 

[Funkworks]

That's the kind of device I find so cool I wish I needed one.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Load_cell

 

[dr wogz]

Rice lake & Scaime are two manuf's that come to mind. Bur then again, I was a scale designer in a past life..

Why not a beam cell?

https://www.ricelake.com/?gclid=Cjw...IdItBWwxe6EQbagSPQ0d8ZI-rkDbCFihoCptkQAvD_BwE
https://scaime.com/load-cells
scaime & Rice lake dealer (and supplier to a few 'self check out' manufs.):

https://scaletron.com/scales/mini-mount/

 

[manixFan]

I'm using a small (25 mm dia) button load cell for a static test stand. I built it to test small motors, but presently, I'm using it to check electric motors with propellers and electric ducted fans (EDF's).
I believe the capacity of the load cell is 50 kg, and I obtained it through Amazon.
With this load cell it's difficult to obtain a stable tare and its recovery, say if there's a load on it and removed, it poor. This can cause it to be off a hundred grams or more for following measurements. I'm using a good quality analog to digital converter that is capable of high resolution and the system is Arduino based.

If you are familiar with this application would you please advise on a source for a good quality and not-too-expensive button load cell? I know that real good ones (with Brand names like Omega) can be very expensive. I'm willing to spend a hundred $ or maybe more if I can obtain good results.

Thank you

I think the issue is the range of your load cell. What is the accuracy rating of your load cell? You will get much better results if you pick a load cell where the expected load falls into the middle range of the cells' capacity. Your load cell has a capacity of 50,000 grams, so 100 grams is .2% of the load, if you used a 5kg cell, that same error is 10 grams.

For my test stand I have three load cells that I can use based on the expected thrust from the motor. I would not expect the one I use for N motors to work well for an H motor. (In fact the large cell has a listed minimum weight below which it will not provide reliable results.)


Tony

 

[Richard Dierking]

I think the issue is the range of your load cell.

Great point. I originally purchased the 50 Kg load cell for motor testing. Really didn't think through using the same thing for testing EDF and small motors with propellers that would have much lower thrust.
I ordered a 5 Kg capacity load cell and will try that out.
Thank you all for the advice.