What is a load control?

Or a Power Sensor for that Matter?
Just about all industrial machines or processes are driven by an electric motor. If you monitor the load on the motor, it will often give you valuable information about what is happening inside the machine or process. Here are some examples:

Mixers or Agitators – When the mixture gets thicker, it will take more power to keep things stirred. This could be a signal that the batch is done.

Drills and Other Machine Tools – When the tool gets dull, it takes more power to make the hole. This can be a signal that it's time to change the tool.

Pumps – The more liquid you pump, the more power it takes. But, if the pump is dry, the power drops right off. Many new–fangled pumps don't do well when they run dry. A load control can stop the pump before expensive damage is done.

Grinding Machines – A grinder wheel is always wearing down, but on an automatic machine you need to get the wheel on the workpiece quickly or you spend a lot of time "grinding air." A load control senses the sharp increase in power when the wheel touches the workpiece, stops the infeed and starts the grinding cycle.
   
Power Sensors
You can know the load on an electric motor by measuring the electric current going to the motor (Amps). But, this is not the best way to do it since a lightly-loaded motor doesn't use the electricity very efficiently. (In technical terms, the power factor is low.)

A better way to know the load is to measure the motor power. (Power is measured in Horsepower or Watts.) Motor power gives you a straight line so it works well even when the motor is lightly loaded.

The Power Sensors that we make measure the motor load (Horsepower or Watts) and send a signal to meters or computers. The operator can see what the status is on the meter or, the computer can make decisions.

The typical way to measure power is fairly complex. However, our Power Cell gives our customers a simple solution.

  
   
Load Controls
 A load control also measures motor power. In addition, it has built-in relays and set points. You can adjust the set point so that when the load on the motor reaches the set point, a relay will trip. (A relay is just a switch, you use it to turn off the machine, sound an alarm, or adjust the feed rate.)