Miniature

FUTEK Miniature load cells are precision force sensors in extremely compact form factors — often no larger than a coin or small cylinder — designed for force measurement applications where space, weight, or geometry constraints rule out conventional sensor sizes. The miniature form factor makes these sensors suitable for integration into the moving parts of robotic mechanisms, medical devices, surgical tools, small material testing apparatus, micro-assembly stations, and consumer product testing rigs where force measurement was previously impractical due to size limitations.

Despite their small size, FUTEK miniature load cells maintain the metrological performance characteristics of larger FUTEK sensors: bonded foil strain gauges on precision-machined flexure elements, fully active Wheatstone bridges, temperature compensation, and low hysteresis. They are available in both tension-compression (for inline force measurement) and compression-only (button/puck) configurations, in capacities from sub-newton gram-force levels up to several kilonewtons depending on model.

Electrical connections use miniature cable or connector options designed to minimize cable stiffness effects on the force measurement. Output is standard mV/V for compatibility with existing data acquisition hardware, or an optional integrated amplifier in an equally miniature package can provide analog voltage output suitable for direct connection to compact DAQ systems or microcontrollers.

Applications include gripper force measurement in collaborative robots, contact force sensing in surgical and dental tools, small spring and elastomer testing, force measurement in MEMS and semiconductor assembly, trigger force testing in consumer electronics, and bio-mechanical research on small animals or tissue samples. NewRoad provides FUTEK Miniature load cells in Israel for medical device development, robotics research, and any application where compact, accurate force sensing is needed.