Load cell testing gets straight to the point
Deputy Mayor of Havant, Councillor Ken Smith with David Ayling, MD of Straightpoint, officially launching the new 350 Ton Calibration and Universal Test Machine.
The first 350 Ton Calibration and Universal Test Machine in Europe has been launched at Straightpoint (UK) Ltd’s headquarters in Havant.
The machinery tests load cells to accurately measure tension/compression. Without testing a load cell, the consequences could be catastrophic. For example, a crane lifting a container heavier than its maximum load that hasn’t been tested using a properly calibrated load cell would be disastrous, potentially causing crane collapse and untold damage to operators of the machine as well as the machinery and container contents.
Starightpoint, which designs, manufactures and tests load cells, invited special guests to its first open day at its new premises. Guests included the Deputy Mayor & Deputy Mayoress of Havant who, alongside Straightpoint MD David Ayling, cut the ribbon to officially launch the new 350 ton calibration and universal test machine, believed to be the only one of its type in the whole of Europe.
The machine tests and calibrates load cells up to 350 tons of compression and 350 tons of tension, which are used in industries such as shipping, building, rigging, and aerospace and other industries which pull, push, lift or weigh suspended objects, or hoist or use cranes as part of their activities.
Straightpoint will use the new machine to test and calibrate its own products before being shipped globally to its clients, as well as to regularly test and calibrate companies’ own load cell equipment, ensuring its continued accuracy and safety.
At the open day, David Ayling welcomed special guests to Straightpoint’s new premises and carried out demonstrations of its equipment, including the new machine, testing the tension of a 250 ton load cell which has been ordered by a lifting company in France.
David Ayling said, ‘Just to put the power of this machine into perspective, our new testing machine would easily be able to lift either the main A frame of the London Eye or up to 235 family cars, as either are within the maximum 350 tons capacity of our testing and calibrating machine.
‘The new machine includes a hydraulic power pack and incorporates reference load cells, which The National Physical Laboratory calibrated against a master load cell, and stores in London so that the load is always traceable and accurate. The new machine can hold the load extremely steadily, which is important should we need to make adjustments to the load cells being tested. We proof test load cells up to double the safe working load, which we carry out three times to ensure the load cells are mechanically safe.
‘To finish the test procedure, we would then calibrate with the relevant set of electronics, such as a wireless or integral display. The load cell is then ready to ship off to the customer quickly.’
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