Ring type load cell consists of a ring like an arrangement to which force is applied. They are used for applications in which measurement of small forces are required.

Beams are used for force measuring applications, all other devices listed are used for measuring pressure.

Primary transducers are which converts measurand into mechanical quantities. Load cell converts measurand into strain or displacement which are mechanical quantities and hence load cells are primary transducers.

Commonly load cell measure applied force using strain gauges, but in some cases, force is measured by detecting displacement, that is a force to displacement conversion.

Diaphragm elements, being a small force capacity is used for measuring small forces only.

(1.08 F R)/(E b t2) represents strain measured using ring-type load cell, in which F represents force applied, R represents radius of ring, E represents Young’s modulus of material, b represents axial width and t represents thickness of ring.

Force can be described as a vector quantity, in which measurement of magnitude and direction of application is important.

Force applied to a load cell is measured using determining tensile and compressive components of strain. Strain gauges are attached to the surface of the load cell.

Diaphragm elements act like flat springs in case of force measurement and can be used for measuring both force and pressure.

Load cells are used for measuring weights of slowly moving bodies so that their weight will be uniformly distributed over load cell surface.