In mobile working machines, overload conditions – especially on the booms of cranes, hoists, and lifts – can result in serious safety and operational problems. Force measuring instruments, such as WIKA’s F53 series of thin-film load pins, can help save time, money, and lives.
Overloading the machine can cause serious structural issues in all types of off-road machinery, from dump trucks and excavators to aerial work platforms and material handling equipment. The extra weight not only can tip the machine over, but will also stress structural components, causing them to fatigue or, worse, break during operation. All these conditions pose a serious safety threat to the machine operator and to people working in the vicinity of the machine.
To prevent these issues, machine owners and manufacturers of mobile working machines are incorporating load pins into standard pin-and-bushings designs to accurately measure the load at critical junctions of the machine’s articulation. When combined with other sensors, this force measuring instrument can also provide additional capabilities – load weighing, optimal load positioning, load moment indication – thereby increasing the machine’s functionality and safety.
Load Pins for Booms, an Important Force Measuring Instrument
Load pins are sensors with strain gauges embedded in their center. These gauges detect changes in load by measuring compression and tension forces, both static and dynamic. Protected inside the body of the pin, this force measuring instrument is virtually unaffected by moisture and dust – an operational requirement for applications in mobile working machines.
Load pins for booms are found in a variety of applications:
- Winches
- Elevators
- Hoisting gear
- Sheaves
- Shackles
- Bearing blocks
- Pivots
- Rotating drums
Thin-Film Load Pins for Cranes, Hoists, and Lifts
WIKA manufactures the F53 series, a complete line of extremely robust thin-film load pins. Thin-film technology ensures good reproducibility and high linearity. Made of stainless steel for corrosion resistance, the F5301, F53C1, F53S1 are designed and manufactured with long-term stability in mind. WIKA uses a sputtering process instead of just an adhesive to connect the measuring bridge to the thin-film cell body. This advanced process of depositing thin film makes this force sensor highly resistant to shock and vibration.
WIKA’s F53 load pin with thin-film technology
The F53 load pins are small, even with the integrated amplifier. They can provide a current, a voltage, or a digital (CANopen® or J1939) output. Measuring ranges go from 0…5kN (1,124 lbs) to 0…200kN (44,962 lbs). Options include temperature compensation up to 400°F (204°C) and redundant output signals. These sensors are the ideal solution for force measurement in just about any solid bearing and bushing design.
Customized Force Solutions for Lifting Machines
Customization – a basic feature of almost all products from WIKA USA – allows measuring instruments to perfectly fit your system requirements. Certified and highly efficient production processes, along with high-quality materials, result in durability and reliability. A secure delivery chain and dedicated customer service ensure that you receive the sensors and transmitters you need, when and where you need them.
Let WIKA’s experts help you find the optimal force measuring instruments to protect your mobile working machine from overloads.
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