Bringing Bluetooth to Mechanical Loadcells

Aimed at users of mechanical force measurement products, Straightpoint (SP) has launched a new, single capacity Bluelink load cell introducing them to Bluetooth technology.

Bluelink is a 6.5t capacity load cell, targeted at end users who prefer traditional equipment but who may be interested in enhanced technology and the benefits of reading data on an iOS or Android smartphone installed with SP’s free HHP app.

SP, recently acquired by Crosby, is a pioneer in technological advancement – its wireless load links, load shackles, and compression load cells are already Bluetooth 4.2 enabled – but Bluelink will sit further down the spectrum in applications for which a mechanical solution remains the instinctive choice but where the safety gains achieved by reading data at a distance of up to 100m are acknowledged.

David Ayling, global business development director for load monitoring solutions at SP, says, “It’s important that we market the Bluelink accordingly. The launch doesn’t place a yardstick by which to measure the ongoing technological progression of our range, but more reflects our ability to continue to provide tools for the many different types of user looking to understand the forces being applied. This isn’t an alternative to our state-of-the-art systems, but a step towards the latest wireless technology, perhaps for professionals only just beginning their migration from traditional solutions.”

Rigged using industry standard shackles, such as the Crosby G2130, the Bluelink has been designed to minimise headroom; it measures only 156mm from eye to eye. Meanwhile, its compact, lightweight design does not sacrifice strength with a safety factor of over 500%. Constructed from aerospace grade and hard-anodised aluminium, the product also boasts an advanced internal design structure.

Ayling said, “The design not only provides the product with an unrivalled strength-to-weight ratio, but it also allows the use of a separate internal sealed enclosure providing the load cell’s electronic components with NEMA6 or IP67 environmental protection even with the battery cover plate missing. Despite the fact that Bluelink isn’t a fully-specced, top of the range load cell, its qualities still suit it to the harshest industrial or leisure environments.”

The app, which is available for download and easy connection to any SP load cell that possesses the same technology, allows the operator to log data versus time or on events such as over or under-load, while an adjustable alarm alerts the operator on a smartphone if any overload occurs. It features an analogue load indicator on the main screen and is available in a number of languages including: English, Dutch, Spanish, Norwegian, Japanese, and Chinese.

Bluelink is powered by four standard AA alkaline batteries that provide in excess of 500 hours transmission time, and its internal antennae ensures loads to an accuracy of 0.1% FS are transmitted safely.