We build custom force transducers, load cells, and weighing cells according to your specifications – from initial concept, FEM design, and strain gauge application to calibrated series production. The initial concept is free of charge.
Custom Force Transducers & Load Cells: Or is a Standard Design Sufficient?
We have over 1000 standard products available online with datasheets, 3D data, prices, and delivery times. If one of these designs fits, you'll be faster and more cost-effective than with a custom solution. Therefore, it's worth taking a look here first:
- Tension and Compression Force Transducers – external thread at both ends, for tension, compression, and alternating loads
- Button Load Cells and Pressure Load Cells as well as Force Measuring Rings – pure compression force transducers, from a few Newtons up to the Meganewton range
- Miniature Force Transducers – from 1 N nominal force, when installation space is only a few millimeters
- S-Type Force Transducers – for material testing machines, cranes, and suspended loads
- Flange and Spoke Load Cells as well as Flat Designs – when installation height is limited
- Load Pins and Measuring Axles – replace an existing load pin
- Multi-Axis Force Sensors – multiple force directions simultaneously
The complete overview can be found under Load Cells & Force Transducers.
When a Custom Design is Necessary
Standard designs reach their limits as soon as one of these conditions arises:
- The installation space dictates the design – threads, flange, drilling pattern, or installation height are fixed
- The nominal force lies between two series or outside the standard range
- The temperature at the measuring point is above +80 °C – compensated up to +250 °C is feasible
- The application is safety-related and requires a redundant design or classification up to PLe / SIL3
- An existing component should become a measuring element without rebuilding the machine
- Signal, connector, or cable are specified – 4…20 mA, other analog outputs, IO-Link, CANopen (optional CANopen Safety), PROFINET (optional PROFIsafe)
- Material or protection class are special cases: stainless steel, hermetically sealed, IP68 or IP69K, ATEX and Ex-protection
Depending on usage, such sensors are called special force transducers, custom force transducers, special designs, custom measuring transducers, or simply "transducers according to drawing." They all mean the same thing.
The Process, from Inquiry to Series Production
- Initial concept, free of charge. You send a drawing, force direction, nominal force, and installation situation. You receive a proposal within 3 working days on how to create a measuring element from this, with an assessment of achievable accuracy and effort.
- FEM calculation. Before design, we calculate the mechanical design – strain at the measuring point, limit load, overload safety.
- Design and manufacturing. In-house machining, see CNC Milling and Turning.
- Strain gauge application. Foil strain gauges as a full bridge, cold or hot curing applied depending on the application profile. We also offer this as a pure service for your components.
- Calibration and test report. In a simulated installation situation, upon request according to ISO 17025 in our own laboratory – also recalibration later.
- Single piece or series. Both. This does not change the design.
If the measuring task involves more than just the transducer, the test bench is added.
Technical Key Data
Standard for a custom design:
- Fatigue-resistant design
- Temperature compensated from -40 °C to +80 °C, constant accuracy over the entire range
- No zero point drift, therefore no periodic recalibration
- Limit load 150% and breaking load 300% of the nominal load
- Designed for tension and/or compression forces
- High EMC immunity of 200 V/m
- Protection class IP68 / IP69K
- Calibration in simulated installation situation including test report
Upon request:
- Increased limit and breaking load, for example 300% / 500%
- Temperature compensated up to +250 °C
- Redundant design, safety classification up to PLe / SIL3
- Integrated amplifier or external measuring amplifiers
- Customer-specific connections, for example cable or connector according to your specifications
Integrated Electronics Instead of Separate Amplifier
Depending on the available space, the amplifier electronics can be integrated directly into the transducer or compactly into the cable. This converts the mV/V signal of the strain gauge full bridge directly into 4…20 mA, 0…10 V, or IO-Link – without a separate device in the control cabinet. The strain gauge full bridge compensates for temperature fluctuations, the design is vibration and shock-resistant, and the cell remains stable for years.
Two Application Reports Demonstrating the Process
Compressor Shaft: from Design to Telemetric Measurement – strain gauge application and transducer construction, plus telemetry on a rotating component.
Force Measurement on Presses and Stamping Machines for Process and Quality Monitoring – the case "existing component becomes a measuring instrument."
Further reports can be found under Application Reports.
FAQ Block: Custom Force Transducers & Load Cells
Frequently Asked Questions about Custom Designs
From what quantity is a custom design worthwhile?
Even for a quantity of one. The effort lies in design, manufacturing of the measuring body, and strain gauge application, not in series production. A single piece is therefore not a special case, but the normal case in development and test bench construction. For series, the unit price decreases accordingly, and we store the configuration for identical reorders.
What does a custom force transducer cost?
That depends on the design, nominal force, signal output, protection class, and required certification. An adapted standard geometry is significantly less than a complete new design with redundancy and safety classification. So that you know what to expect before commissioning, our initial concept is free: it provides an estimate of effort, achievable accuracy, and price range.
How long does a custom design take?
You usually receive the initial concept within [DAYS] working days. The production of a custom version typically takes [WEEKS] weeks from drawing approval. If a deadline is tight, please state it immediately in your inquiry, and we will check what can be prioritized.
What do you need from me for a quote?
Most important are nominal force, force direction (i.e., tension, compression, or both), and the installation situation. Additionally, a drawing or sketch with the connection dimensions, information on temperature and environment, the desired output signal, as well as quantity and desired delivery date. Often, a photo of the installation site is sufficient for an initial assessment. If you are missing any of this, send what you have; we will clarify the rest in a conversation.
Can you turn an existing component into a sensor?
Yes, and this is often the more elegant solution. Instead of installing a transducer into the force flow, we apply strain gauges directly to your component, for example, to a press frame, a shaft, or a profile, and calibrate the measuring chain. The machine remains structurally unchanged, and no installation space is lost. Our application reports on force measurement on presses and the compressor shaft show how this works in practice.
What accuracy is achievable with a custom design?
This results from the geometry, force application, and installation situation, not from the sensor alone. A measuring body with clearly defined force application achieves values in the range of standard transducers; an instrumented component with unknown load distribution is below that. We state the achievable accuracy already in the initial concept and not only after production, so you can evaluate the measuring task beforehand.
What is the difference between a force transducer, load cell, and weighing cell?
Technically, it is the same component: a measuring body with strain gauges in a full bridge. The difference lies in the application and thus in the calibration. If calibrated in kilograms or tons, it is called a weighing cell; if calibrated in Newtons or kilonewtons, it is called a force transducer or load cell. Just tell us in which unit you want to measure.
Do you supply the transducer calibrated?
Yes. Every custom design is supplied calibrated and with a test report, in a simulated installation situation. This is important because a transducer reacts differently depending on the force application and support; a calibration certificate from a generic test setup says little about your application. Upon request, we calibrate according to ISO 17025 in our own laboratory, as well as subsequent recalibration.
Are higher temperatures, Ex-protection, or safety levels possible?
Our custom transducers are standard compensated from -40 to +80 °C, and upon request up to +250 °C. For hazardous areas, we supply ATEX and IECEx versions, for safety-related applications redundant transducers with classification up to SIL 3 and PL e. Protection classes up to IP68 and IP69K are possible with hermetically sealed designs.
Can the electronics be integrated into the transducer?
Yes, depending on space availability. The amplifier then sits in the sensor housing or compactly in the cable, and you receive directly 4…20 mA, 0…10 V, IO-Link, CANopen, or PROFINET instead of an mV/V signal. This saves a device in the control cabinet and prevents interference coupling on the millivolt path. If it is very hot at the installation site, the separate design with a remote amplifier is the better choice.
Request a Project
Send us a drawing or sketch, nominal force, force direction, and the installation situation – via the contact form or directly to office@octogon.org. The initial concept is free of charge.