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Load Cells in the Energy Industry

Force measurement equipment, with a wide range of capabilities, is critical in the power industry. If you’ve been in the field long, you probably know how important load cells are to your day-to-day operations.

At Cooper Instruments & Systems, we supply custom load cell solutions worldwide. In fact, we’re a leading provider of force and pressure instrumentation, sensor systems, custom calibration services and more. We’ve been headquartered in Virginia since 1988 — and numerous industries covering the globe trust our products and show us continued loyalty.

Delmarva Power was just one company in the power/energy industry that came to our business with a specific need. They left with complete satisfaction and loyalty to our capabilities, equipment and services. Read on to find out what we were able to do for them.

Delmarva Power

Industry: Power/Energy Industry
Client: Delmarva Power
Project: Weigh gas bottles on their utility trucks

System Solution

• LQB 610 1K
• DFI INFINITY CS
• Masterlink 3000
• Designed, manufactured and assembled plates for cylinders
• Assembled and calibrated individual scales

The Load Cell Application Mission for Delmarva Power

In 2009, Delmarva Power came to us with the project to weigh the gas bottles on their utility trucks. They carry the bottles on the trucks, so we needed to come up with a system so they could easily know the amount of sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) gas they had on their service trucks. It didn’t take us long to come up with the answer.

The Custom Load Scale Solution

So how did we solve the problem? It’s all about customization, which we’re willing to provide for any customer who reaches out to us in need of equipment that allows for a unique load cell application.

We developed the perfect custom load scale designed specifically to hold their gas bottles. First, we used our LQB 610 load cell in tandem with our DC-powered DFI INFINITY CS indicator/controller. Then, we planned and built the plates that could hold their cylinders before assembling and calibrating their individual scales.

The Result: Delmarva Power Satisfaction

Had our new product not been right for their load cell application, we would have reworked it until we came up with the perfect solution. However, our creation proved to be exactly what they were looking for.

In fact, in 2016, Delmarva Power started to return the scales to us for upgrades so they could take advantage of the new Cooper Instruments & Systems wireless system. With an addition of our Masterlink 3000-P transmitter and a wireless head remote, they can now read the scale remotely to ensure they have accurate knowledge of their gas levels.

Choose Cooper Instruments & Systems for Your Load Cell Custom Solutions

Delmarva Power isn’t the only company we can impact with our quick services, accuracy and attention to customer satisfaction. If you need a custom load scale or quality calibration services, let us know. We offer a unique range of options with capacities from 0-10 grams to 0-3 million pounds. We will help you find the right equipment to get the job done right, whether that means finding the right product in our inventory or custom building something just for you.

We love a good challenge! Request a free quote for your next equipment purchase and find out for yourself.

Cooper Instruments & Systems is now an authorized distributor for Straightpoint products including cabled and wireless telemetry loadlink, load shackles, load cells, digital dynamometers, compression load cells, crane scales, running line tensionmeters and software solutions as well as a new range of intrinsically safe load cells.

Safety, reliability and quality are paramount in the lifting and rigging industries, so Straightpoint designs and manufactures to the highest standards including ISO9001, ATEX and IECEx, whilst holding other accreditations and active memberships in key associations such as LEEA, AWRF, SC&RA and ASME.

Straightpoint manufactures load cells from 100kg to over 2000t and products that offer dynamic load monitoring, weighing and force measurement solutions and high accuracy with world-class specifications and lead times.

Unlike other load cells and dynamometers available on the market the high IP or NEMA rating of Straightpoint load cells means they are impervious to the harshest weather conditions and may be left in place during a lift just like any other item of rigging hardware.

Their wireless technology allows antennae free data transmission to 700 metres or 2300 feet and can be connected to the latest Internet of Things (IOT) technology.

Straightpoint load cells are used in many industries such as oil and gas, shipping, construction, renewable energies, lifting and cranes, topside and tie downs, mining, entertainment, water bag testing, breakbulk, utilities and military applications.

See the list of wireless Straightpoint products that we offer below:

Handheld Plus – The Handheld plus is a rugged and versatile digital handheld display with a broad range of features and suitable for all Straightpoint load cell products. It has a powerful PCB providing industry leading features such as user selectable units of measure (tonnes, lbs, kg and kN), programmable audible overload alarm, peak hold, pre-set tare and a user resettable overload counter. Wireless range is 2,300 feet.

JumboWeigher – The JumboWeigher series of crane scales offers high capacity, quality, accuracy, and safety at low capacity pricing. Each unit is equipped with a large and bright LED display that can be easily read even in direct sunlight. The simple to use remote features oversized buttons for use with gloved hands and provides for control of tare and hold functions. Battery charging intervals are extended by the standby power saving mode as well as the automatic shut off feature. Each JumboWeigher is safety tested and is supplied with certification of calibration and proof testing. This heavy duty crane scale is extremely accurate, and is manufactured from quality materials, featuring a high strength aluminim alloy outer housing.

Load Pin – The Straightpoint range of Load Measurement Pins (LMP’s) are designed for use in custom or bestspoke applications where traditional load cells are not applicable. They are manufactured from high tensile stainless steel and are normally supplied complete with an anti-rotation plate as a cabled or wireless solution. Built to withstand the harshest environments in industries such as marine and offshore oil and gas they are suitable for use in exposed situations and can be supplied to withstand immersion in seawater to extreme depths.

RadiolinkPlus – Capable of both weighing and dynamic load monitoring, the latest Radiolink plus is constructed of high-quality aircraft grade aluminum and features an advanced internal design structure, suitable for use in the harshest environments. Featuring industry leading wireless technology and range, the versatile Radiolink plus is supplied with an update rate of 3 Hz and can be easily configured to run at industry leading speeds of up to 200 Hz. Data is transmitted wirelessly utilizing the latest in IEEE 802.15.4 (2.4 GHz) technology providing safe, high integrity, error free transmission of both static weight and dynamic load to a wireless handheld controller.

MWLC – Straightpoint’s Multiple Wireless Load Cell Controller (SW-MWLC) software package is a versatile, user friendly wireless load cell control, display and data logging tool designed for use on the Windows PC platforms, Vista, Win7, 8 and 10. SW-MWLC allows simultaneous, wireless communication between Straightpoint wireless load cells and a Windows® PC. A resizable window displays a table of up to 100 wireless load cell channels of live data. Channels can be setup with user defined mathematical functions that can be used to calculate a multitude of results. SW-MWLC software is supplied with a SW-USBBSE extended range USB transceiver.

Running Line Dynamometer – The TIMH range is a Running Line Tensiometer or RLTM built with dockside, marine, offsore, towage and salvage applications in mind. It is particularly useful where there is no anchor or dead end on the line to rig a Straightpoint Radiolink or Loadlink digital dynamometer to measure tension force. The TIMH is constructed from marine grade stainless steel and is suitable for many wire rope configurations up to 80t and will, as an option, calculate lineout in meters or feet along with line speed. Available as a wireless or cabled system utilizing our HHP range of handheld displays or SWˇMWLC software.

Wireless Compression Load Cell – Straightpoint’s Wireless Compression Load Cells are machined from high grade stainless steel, providing excellent strength and corrosion resistance. The heavy duty, compact load cell utilizes Straightpoint’s advanced microprocessor based electronics and benefits from unrivaled resolution and accuracy. Data transmission is handled by the Straightpoint wireless system’s proprietary transport protocol, is unmatched in performance and capable of a license free transmission range of up to 2,300 feet.

Wireless Low Headroom Link – Now available as a wireless product the Straightpoint range of low headroom links are designed to provide accurate measurement of loads in the most challenging applications where headroom restrictions are a major factor. It is constructed from high strength alloy steel and designed to work with industry standard shackles. Applications include weighing, lifting, force measurement and load monitoring of structures such as lighting trusses, hoist mountings and fly line tensioning. The unique low headroom design combines the ability to lift loads with capacities up to 30 tonnes and features industry leading wireless technology and range of 700m or 2300ft.

WCGS (wireless center of gravity system) – Straightpoints’ WCOGS is a user friendly, cost effective, low maintenance, wireless solution for the Conformation of Mass and Center of Gravity of large off-set, off-balance, non-symmetrical loads. It uses wireless compression load cells and a new and improved, simple to use, software package. Operators can now view on screen, and in real-time, up to 30 individual load cell loads, and the dynamic center of gravity. The valuable, center of gravity analysis report can be easily saved and or printed. Available in capacities ranging from 5te to 500te. Larger capacities are available on request. Range is 700 meters or 2300 feet.

Wireless Loadshackle – Straightpoint’s Wireless Loadshackle provides the perfect solution to limited headroom applications. Each Wireless Loadshackle is proof tested, then equipped with a hard anodized aluminum electronics enclosure. Featuring industry leading wireless technology and 2,300 foot range, the Wireless Loadshackle is supplied with an update rate of 3Hz and can be easily configured to run at industry leading speeds of up to 200Hz. Data is transmitted wirelessly utilizing the latest in IEEE 802.15.4 (2.4 GHz) technology providing safe, high integrity, error free transmission of both static weight and dynamic load to a wireless handheld controller or wireless Windows® PC data logging software package.

Clamp On Line Tensionmeter (COLT) – The Straightpoint COLT is a lightweight tensionmeter for fast and accurate measurement of wire rope tensions up to 11,000 lbf/5000 kgf and up to 1”/25mm diameter. Manufactured using an integral, high accuracy, Bluetooth module the COLT transmits load data wirelessly to any smart device running our Android or iOS app.