The Components of a Load Cell
A load cell is generally comprised of three parts: a mechanical system, a strain gauge, and an electronic amplification device. The measurement of a force is done by the use of these three parts in the order they are listed. It should be noted that load cells can be configured with multiple strain gauges.
      Measuring Force, Step 1
First, a force is applied to the mechanical system, which transfers the force to the strain gauge, which is basically an elastic foil connected to a wheatstone bridge configuration. This wheatstone bridge configuration is the electronic device that the strain gauge uses to convert a certain amount of strain into electrical output. Essentially, the mechanical system and strain gauge are used to convert a force into an electrical output.
      Measuring Force, Step 2
This electrical output is generally very small, so it is amplified using a form of electric amplification, for which an integrated circuit or transistor may possibly be used. The electrical output is measured and the plugged into a computer algorithm. The algorithm uses the amount of electricity to tell a user how much force was applied to the load cell.