Load Pins

Load Pins

The Load Pin is a unique strain gage force sensor developed by Strainsert. In general, they are defined as instrumented sensors used to replace standard mechanical pins to provide force measurement. They utilize the internal strain gage process perfected by Strainsert and used so successfully in our other load cells, including tension links and force sensing bolts and studs.

The force sensing Load Pin offers precision force measurement by simply replacing existing shear pins, clevis pins, shear axles or many other type of pin-joint hardware used in applications by the Aerospace, Automotive, Military, Industrial and Marine industries.

Along with the below standard Load Pins for common applications including shackles, wire rope sockets, and hydraulic actuator joints, Strainsert also specializes in the design and manufacture of custom Load Pins per specific customer requirements including mating hardware geometries, environment considerations, required measurement capacities, and factors of safety.

The custom designed pins typically result in a custom drop-in sensor pin replacing the non-instrumented pin with minimal, if any, hardware modifications required which is a huge advantage over other types of force sensors.

Another significant advantage for crane, hoist and other lifting applications results from the Load Pin replacing an existing pin that was accounted for during design which leaves the planned “design lifting range” unchanged. Generally, this is not the case with many other types of load sensor designs, i.e. “below the hook” sensors which add additional length to the rigging system hardware, which decreases the lifting range and potentially limits the crane and hoist use.