Most web processing lines put a premium on long-term reliability, in addition to accuracy and overall performance. The measurement system, after all, is the front line of machine control, exposed to all the rigors of the operating environment. The costs associated with downtime and poor product bring out the true value of its components.

Quality measurement technology for superior tension control that will keep your processing lines productive and producing top-notch output – that’s what you can expect from us. We’re entirely devoted to providing process measurement systems and services, and we have 60 years of experience in the field. We are the experts in web and strip tension as well as force measurement for virtually any purpose

Selecting and sizing load cells 

The two types of ABB PillowBlock load cells are designed for either conventional vertical force measurement or for sensing the horizontal force component that may arise as the processed material partially wraps around a measurement roll.

Using the horizontal load cells can be quite advantageous. By design, they can be made exceptionally sturdy, rugged, and stiff. So, requirements for recalibration, other maintenance, or replacement are negligible, and they do not contribute to machine vibration. Since they don’t measure the tare weight, but just the horizontal force component of the web tension, they can be sized smaller than otherwise possible, measuring tension with greater accuracy.

Extended-range operation 

An extended range of measurement beyond the nominal load allows the PillowBlock to be sized for normal, as opposed to maximum tension levels. As a result, they permit greater application flexibility on the processing machinery.

Application requirements may dictate the selection of a vertical load cell. But whenever an adequate horizontal force component is present (or can be developed), the horizontal load cell should be considered. 

The size, or nominal load, of a load cell is contingent on the anticipated force it will measure. When a vertical load cell is mounted horizontally (the most common arrangement), the measurement force (FR) is a function of the tension in the web (T), the deflection angles (α and β), and the tare weight of the roll and bearings (Tare).