The rope forces in existing rope pulleys in a theatre needed to be determined. This is necessary for safety reasons.

Measurement Task

The most cost-effective and reliable solution was seen in the implementation using force measuring pins or load pins. After clarification with the customer, the procedure of replacing existing steel pins (without measuring function) with measuring pins was agreed upon. In some applications, it is also possible to use an S-type load cell or tension/compression load cell.

Force measuring pins with external measurement amplification were used here (there is also the option of an integrated solution, which would already have a voltage, current or data output). With this variant, the measurement amplification takes place on the DIN rail in the control cabinet, so all the electronics are in one place.
The rope pulleys are loaded with a maximum of 10kN, and the measuring pins were designed accordingly (with a safety factor of S=3).

Procedure

The customer provided us with the dimensions and the constructive design of the rope pulleys. This is particularly important to ensure that the geometric modification of the pins does not impair the function of the bearing.

Based on these specifications, new measuring pins were designed and discussed with the customer before production.
The protection class was determined as IP65, as pure dust tightness was sufficient in this case (our hermetically welded version is certified with IP68). The wiring was fixed, but a connector solution would be possible.

Result

All in all, the measuring pin solution proved to be a very good, maintenance-free and, above all, cost-effective solution for our customer.
The accuracy and resolution of such measuring pins are very high and far exceeded the customer's requirements in this case.

Redundant Load and Force Measuring Pins

There is an increasing demand for components required for mechanical engineering that comply with safety standards. This applies in particular to standards based on EN61508, such as EN62061 and ISO13849. It is worth noting that such high values as SIL3 and PLe are quite common.

Octogon's measuring pins can be used for these types of applications. We have therefore developed an appropriate response to these requirements by creating efficient documentation, reliability tests and a practical architecture for these applications. These measuring pins consist of two different strain gauge bridges and separate connection points. Such features help to reduce errors due to common causes. In the case of an mV/V bridge, information for the analysis and diagnosis of a fault signal is provided.

Are you interested in our products or services? Contact us and together we will find a solution for your measurement challenge.