N, kgf & lbf: Choosing Button Load Cell Capacity

Use force units in the specification

A newton (N) is a force unit. Kilograms (kg) describe mass; kilogram-force (kgf) describes the force associated with a kilogram under standard gravity. A request for a “10 kg load cell” should be clarified as a force rating, often 10 kgf, rather than silently treating mass and force as identical.

1 kgf = 9.80665 N | 1 lbf = 4.4482216152605 N

Translate common catalogue searches

These conversions express the requested force; they do not create new stocked models. An exact nominal rating is confirmed with the selected sensor configuration.

• 1 kgf ≈ 9.807 N ≈ 2.205 lbf.
• 10 kgf ≈ 98.067 N ≈ 22.046 lbf.
• 200 kgf ≈ 1,961.33 N ≈ 440.925 lbf.
• 250 lbf ≈ 1,112.055 N ≈ 113.398 kgf.
• 1,500 lbf ≈ 6,672.332 N ≈ 680.389 kgf.

Taring does not remove mechanical preload

Suppose a 500 N load button carries 100 N of fixture preload before the process begins. Setting the display to zero does not restore 500 N of mechanical headroom. The sensor still sees the preload plus the additional force. Include both in the capacity and overload assessment.

Match capacity and acquisition to the smallest force change

An unnecessarily large range may make a small force change harder to distinguish. An undersized range may not survive approach impact or fixture setup. Define the smallest force change of interest, the full load cycle, peak force, acceptable noise and bandwidth. Evaluate the selected sensor and amplifier together in the fixture.