Why is Environmental Protection Important to Load Cells?

We hear a lot about Crosby Straightpoint dynamometers and load cells being environmentally protected to IP67 or NEMA6, but sometimes the importance of this is overlooked.

First, let’s look at what each of these terms mean:

IP67

The IP Code, typically a European or international code, is sometimes called the International Protection or Ingress Protection rating. It is typically followed by two digits (67). The first one gives the level of protection that the enclosure provides against access to hazardous parts; and the second gives the level of protection that the enclosure provides against harmful ingress of water.

IP67 means the product is dust-tight and immersible up to 3 ft. 3 in. in depth. Ingress of water in harmful quantity shall not be possible when the enclosure is immersed in water under defined conditions of pressure and time.

NEMA6

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) number, meanwhile, is typically used in North America. NEMA6 equates to IP67.

But practically, why should a contractor, crane operator, rigger or another end user care?

We asked David Ayling, president of FAD Equipment Store and former owner of Straightpoint, which was acquired by Crosby at the turn of 2019. David stressed the importance of IP67 / NEMA6 ratings and went on to outline the ingress / environmental protection journey of the iconic load monitoring product range.

As David says, it’s not really about being dust-tight and operating up to 3 ft. 3 in. in depth for 30 minutes. After all, this isn’t a subsea rating and it isn’t about replicating the IP67 testing criteria, which means placing the lowest point of the enclosure 39 in. below the surface of the water, or the highest point 5.9 in. below the surface, whichever is deeper.

He highlights two practical benefits of, say, a Crosby Straightpoint Radiolink plus being IP67 / NEMA6 rated:

1. You can leave the load cell rigged for long periods of time, even in inclement weather.
2. This level of ingress protection is achieved, while utilizing standard AA batteries.

Environmental protection

When a load cell is rigged 50 ft. in the air about to weigh a module on an oil and gas site, you don’t want to be de-rigging everything if a black cloud moves overhead. Further, users don’t want the added stress of wondering if a certain amount of rainfall will damage or compromise the product. You can leave Straightpoint products rigged outdoors for months.

It’s one thing to provide such ingress protection with an enclosed, industrial battery, but that’s not user-friendly if it needs taking down and charging for several hours when a critical lift is about to take place.

In other words, Straightpoint’s range might be reputed as being premium products, but each one pays for itself over and over again.

IP67 / NEMA6 journey

The best-selling Radiolink plus wireless load cell was Straightpoint’s first product to complete the IP67 / NEMA6 journey. It started when early designs were returned with water damage. Users report that even to this day, many competing technologies still have this problem and don’t boast equivalent ingress protection ratings.

But it’s no five-minute job to take a product and make it IP67 / NEMA6 rated.

As discussed, it’s even harder to achieve this rating while retaining standard AA batteries, which is a hallmark of Straightpoint’s range. Chassis, O-rings, gaskets, compression components, etc. must all be re-engineered, tested, and tested again before you can even think about submitting it for third-party verification. David recalls getting a purpose-built chassis (base frame) and injection-molded parts to rebuild the product.

Once the Radiolink plus was IP67 / NEMA6 rated, Straightpoint’s load shackle enclosure was redesigned and in turn the compression range and other force measurement products followed. These days, the entire catalog meets these standards and is in stock, ready for quick shipment from FAD Equipment Store.

ATEX and IECEx load cells

ATEX and IECEx versions of Straightpoint’s products are also in stock for hazardous areas, Zones 0, 1 and 2, which are the force measurement tools of choice for professionals in the oil and gas and petrochemicals sectors, for example. The criteria of ATEX and IECEx are broadly similar, although the former is widely accepted throughout Europe, while the latter is required in many other global markets.

This was another journey that involved great engineering innovation. David remembers working in close collaboration with the Sira Certification Service, an independent certification body. Developing a Zone 0 product was very challenging given the extent of the standards and safety regulations that had to be met, while producing the required documents, prototypes and the final product. The goal was to meet this criteria while making minimal changes to an already excellent, well-renowned product, much like it was when moving towards IP67 / NEMA6 ratings.

All Straightpoint products are provided with proof test and calibration certifications, and alert users when recalibration is required, which can be completed quickly and cheaply by a network of recalibration laboratories across North America.

Why buy your load cells from FAD Equipment Store?

As we’ve said before, this equipment store has emerged as the chosen provider for many Crosby brands, largely because of a triangle of ex-Crosby Straightpoint employees on our leadership team. David Ayling; Peter McGreal, CFO; and Jeff Miller, general manager are all formerly of the force measurement pioneer and now very much at FAD Equipment Store.

• Browse our Crosby Straightpoint load cell range.