The types of strain gauge loadcells commonly used in platform scales includesingle point, planar beam, bending beam, shear beam, dual shear beam, and Stype loadcells.

Shear Beam LoadCell

A shear beam loadcell has a piece of metal that elastically deforms under the force of a load. The strain is picked up by a strain gauge in the metal and changed to an electrical signal.. Shear beam loadcells are used for medium loads of less than five tons.

Single Point LoadCell

Single point loadcells have an aperture that is the cut out of the body of the loadcell. The aperture controls the thickness of the metal across the loadcell body. When a load is applied, the shape of the loadcell deforms, which is detected by strain gauges as the body of the loadcell is distorted. The deformation creates a voltage signal that is proportional to the force of the weight.