Strain gauge load cells are widely used in electronic truck scales. According to their typical structures, they can be divided into two major categories: column load cells under normal stress and bridge load cells under shear stress. The selection of load cells for domestic electronic truck scales mainly adopts bridge structure, while in foreign countries, especially in Europe
Developed countries such as the United States tend to prefer a columnar structure. The reason for such differences is related to the characteristics of the load cell structure and the development stage of electronic weighing instruments. Bridge-type weighing transmission
The installation of sensors is relatively simple. Debugging and maintenance personnel only need simple training to get started. This can greatly save the human resource training costs and labor expenses of weighing instrument manufacturers or after-sales maintenance providers. The strain zone is an I-beam structure, with uniform shear stress distribution in the cross-section, which can enhance the resistance to lateral forces.
Eccentricity ability. Steel balls have point contact and do not transmit lateral loads or lateral torque, but only axial loads. In general weighing situations, lateral limits do not need to be installed. Therefore, the processing and manufacturing requirements for electronic weighing instruments are relatively simple, and the manufacturing cost and installation expenses can be optimized, etc. Bridge-type weighing sensor
These characteristics of the instrument are quite suitable for the weighing instrument industry in its growth stage. Column-type load cells have a compact structure, small size, high natural frequency and fast dynamic response. There are no fixing bolts, so there is no need to worry about quality risks caused by rust or loosening after long-term use. But column-type weighing sensors
The equipment has relatively high requirements for limits, installation, etc., which will increase the costs of manual training and services, etc. The certain requirements for the structure of the carrier also make cost optimization more difficult. Therefore, the cost of electronic weighing instruments equipped with column-type load cells will be relatively high, making them suitable for medium and large-sized users or for consideration
For less sensitive customer groups, developed countries such as Europe and America prefer to use column structures.
The differences in the selection of load cells for electronic truck scales at home and abroad, as well as the different prices of electronic weighing instruments equipped with bridge or column load cells, have led to certain biases among some domestic electronic weighing instrument practitioners regarding column load cells and bridge load cells: for instance, electronic truck scales equipped with column load cells are more expensive and thus considered high-end. Electronic truck scales equipped with bridge-type load cells are relatively inexpensive, thus they are in the mid-to-low end range. Mid-to-low-end or most users cannot afford or do not know how to use electronic truck scales and the like that are equipped with column-type load cells.
The current situation of electronic truck scales and the pressure faced by the industry: Currently, electronic truck scales are in the later stage of the industry's growth period or have already entered the mature stage. Therefore, it is difficult for the total industry demand to maintain a sustained high growth rate. However, the number of enterprises engaged in production and after-sales maintenance in the upstream and downstream of weighing instruments, as well as the industry's production capacity, have shown an increasing trend, thus intensifying market competition. If product homogenization is severe, in order to cope with industry competition, the most effective or commonly used competitive tool for enterprises is to adopt a pricing strategy. Such a competitive situation compresses the profit margin of the entire industry and increases the operational pressure on enterprises. However, the sluggish growth of industry scale and profit margins is not conducive to technological progress in the industry and also makes it difficult for the quality of industry products to continuously improve. Take bridge load cells as an example: If the industry leader sets the price within the range of 260 to 300 yuan, and this price serves as a reference for other load cell manufacturers' product pricing, then the selling prices of similar products from peers can only remain within or below this range. However, this price range is already close to the cost line of many enterprises. The possible consequence is that leading enterprises are reluctant to improve the quality of bridge-type products and even have to cut and control costs to ensure a certain level of profit. To ensure the overall profit of the enterprise, leading enterprises are bound to maintain high prices and high gross profit margins on other products. Such a pricing model makes it impossible for weighing instrument manufacturers to truly benefit from it. Other manufacturers of load cells in the industry are already struggling on the cost line in this price range, which undoubtedly increases the difficulty of ensuring product quality and makes it impossible for them to have the funds and profits to reinvest in technology or further improve production conditions and equipment. Their choices
Either lower the quality, exit the industry, or reduce the price again to secure orders and ensure survival first. If this continues, a price war is bound to break out, and disorderly competition will be impossible, which will directly affect the healthy development of the industry. Domestic peers' exploration and discussion on the weighing sensors of electronic truck scales
Innovative bridage-type load cells have become the standard configuration of load cells in domestic electronic truck scales. Objectively, this has indeed promoted the development and expansion of the electronic truck scale market and cultivated a large number of after-sales maintenance teams. With the advancement of technology and the development of the industry, manufacturers of load cells have been engaged in bridge-type load cell transmission
Many positive explorations have also been made in sensors, such as the technological evolution from analog to digital and the Internet of Things. The product structure includes new types such as small Bridges and bridge column types. In terms of material, progress has been made in aspects like the base and elastic body.
The popularization of column-type load cells has brought positive changes and significance to the weighing instrument industry. For the upstream of weighing instruments, namely the load cell manufacturers, the popularization of column-type load cells is conducive to further improving the production process of load cells, stimulating technological changes in resistance strain gauges, and ensuring weighing
The improvement of the accuracy grade of sensors has driven the advancement of upstream technologies and the enhancement of product quality in the entire electronic weighing instrument industry. If more manufacturers of load cells, on the premise of respecting intellectual property rights, jointly participate in promoting the popularization and application of column-type load cells, it can change electronic weighing instruments
The cognitive biases of downstream manufacturers and users. For manufacturers of weighing instruments, the popularization of column-type load cells can further enhance the manufacturing level of weighing instruments and fully leverage their own advantages
The advantages in production and manufacturing make the competitiveness and profits of enterprises more sustainable. If the manufacturers of weighing instruments merely sell electronic weighing instruments equipped with ordinary column-type load cells at high prices to make high profits, it can be achieved in the short term, but it is definitely difficult to sustain in the long run. Firstly, the weighing instrument manufacturers are only
It is about relying on upstream suppliers to provide products for high profits and failing to reflect its own value. Secondly, this profit model is too easy for rivals to replicate and thus lacks sustainability. Given that the use of column-type load cells has certain requirements for the processing and manufacturing of the scale body, and the production and manufacturing are precisely carried out by the weighing instrument manufacturers
If more distributors and users adopt the column structure, it will inevitably increase the demand for load-bearing devices from weighing instrument manufacturers with processing capabilities and quality assurance. The increase in the demand for such scale bodies or electronic weighing instruments fully demonstrates and reflects the advantages of weighing instrument manufacturers, and can further consolidate this advantage. Especially in the context where the number of production and manufacturing factories is beginning to concentrate, the popularization of column structures is undoubtedly the most conducive for weighing instrument production and manufacturing factories to strengthen their competitive advantages. For weighing instrument dealers and after-sales service, if the column-type load cell can solve the installation pain points, it can be installed in the same way as the bridge type in general situations, without the need for personnel training and without increasing labor costs. For special weighing situations, such as large tonnage and frequent weighing sites, it is only necessary to do the alignment and lateral limit positions in the same way as the bridge type. Then, for them, especially for after-sales service, the column-type load cell undoubtedly enhances after-sales safety and brings more profit points. First, the new type of structural load cell can bring profit points; Second, there is no need to worry about being replaced by bridge structures in the short term. Thirdly, in combination with the instrument, it further enhances after-sales safety, ensuring the long-term stability of after-sales service. Today, China's economy remains the second largest in the world and has maintained a good momentum of development. Domestic users of all kinds will have increasingly higher requirements for product quality and a stronger awareness of quality. How to meet or even exceed customer demands and continuously create customer value, providing customers with higher-quality load cells, instruments and electronic weighing equipment, is the mission and responsibility that weighing equipment practitioners, especially leading enterprises in the industry, should shoulder. It is also the inevitable path for China's weighing equipment industry to grow from small to large and then to strong, and to align with the weighing equipment of developed countries in the world. The popularization of column-type load cells in the field of electronic truck scales can meet the practical needs of many users and customers of electronic weighing instruments, that is, to achieve "anti-toppling, anti-rotation and easy installation". Undoubtedly, it is a positive exploration and attempt. It is hoped that more similar load cells with intellectual property rights will emerge to jointly promote the progress and strength of China's weighing instrument industry.