ABB PFTL101A Pressductor Pillow Block Vertical Load Cell

Description

Product Introduction

The ABB PFTL101A is a heavy-duty pillow block load cell engineered specifically for vertical web tension measurement in paper, plastic, textile, and metal converting industries. Mounted directly under standard roll bearing housings, it measures the vertical force vector produced by web wrap angles across processing rolls without being affected by horizontal side forces.

Unlike horizontal-force load cells (like the PFCL series) or fragile foil strain gauges, the PFTL101A uses ABB’s solid-state Pressductor magneto-elastic technology. It converts mechanical stress in a solid steel block into a proportional electrical signal. Because there are no internal moving parts or bonded foil wires to fatigue, the sensor tolerates extreme mechanical overload, vibration, and thermal expansion without calibration drift.

Key Technical Specifications

Application Scenarios & The “Trench” Experience

It is 4:00 AM on a cold morning shift at a plastic film converting facility. A winding roll suffers an emergency stop, slamming a massive downward force onto the tension roll assembly. On a line using standard foil strain gauges, a shock like that would shear the internal bridge or destroy the zero calibration, causing thousands of feet of ruined, unevenly stretched film on restart. The PFTL101A load cell absorbs the vertical shock wave into its solid steel core, maintains perfect zero-point stability, and lets the operator restart the winder immediately with zero recalibration downtime.

• Plastic Film & Converting – Tension Tracking on Extrusion Winders – Delivers drift-free vertical tension measurement to prevent film stretching or wrinkling.
• Paper Machine Coating & Slitting – Calender Roll Web Guiding – Tracks low-tension webs accurately across wide machine spans.
• Textile Processing Lines – Continuous Dyeing & Drying Ranges – Handles high-humidity environments and wash-down chemicals without signal leakage.
• Metals Foil Rolling – Ultra-Thin Foil Tension Control – Provides microsecond response times for sensitive, low-tension web loops.

PFTL101A

PFTL101A

Transparency SOP: Quality Assurance & Testing

We don’t just ship boxes; we test them on dedicated press equipment.

1. Inbound Visual & Mechanical Audit: Microscopic check of machined stainless steel surfaces, mounting hole threads, seal integrity, and connector pins.
2. Coil Resistance & Symmetry Checks: Primary and secondary internal excitation coil resistance measured and logged against factory spec sheets to rule out internal shorting.
3. Calibrated Vertical Press Test: Placed under hydraulic press test fixtures to confirm linear signal output across 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% rated vertical load limits.
4. Insulation Resistance (Megger Check): Tested at 500 VDC to confirm insulation resistance (≥ 100 MΩ) between internal coils and the chassis ground.
5. ESD & Protective Packaging: Cleaned, sealed in static-shielding bags, and packaged inside heavy shock-resistant foam or wooden enclosures.

The Veteran’s Tech Trap Guide (Crucial Value-Add)

• ⚠️ Do Not Confuse PFTL (Vertical) with PFCL (Horizontal)!

  The PFTL101A measures vertical forces only. If your web geometry creates a force vector that is primarily horizontal, installing a PFTL load cell will produce near-zero readings or severe non-linearity. Always calculate your resultant force vector before picking your Pressductor series.

• ❗ Mind the Mounting Base Flatness

  Pillow block load cells demand a flat, rigid mounting plate machined within 0.05 mm. Bolting a down onto a twisted or rusted beam introduces mechanical pre-stress that skews your baseline zero setting before you even thread the web.

• ⚠️ Account for Roll Dead-Weight

  Because the measures vertical force, the physical weight of the roll and bearing blocks sits directly on the sensor. You must tare out the roll dead-weight inside the Pressductor controller (such as a PFRA101) so the display reads true web tension, not roll weight.

• ❗ Watch Out for Welding Earth Currents!

  Never perform electric arc welding on the roll frame or bearing housing while the load cell is bolted down. Passing welding currents through the sensor chassis will permanently magnetize the steel core or destroy the internal primary/secondary coils.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ for Conversion)

Q: What is the main difference between and PFTL101B?

A: The and PFTL101B differ primarily in mechanical mounting dimensions, height profiles, and maximum force capacity ranges. Always check your mounting footprint and roll support dimensions against the OEM datasheet when upgrading or replacing.

Q: Can the handle horizontal side forces?

A: Yes. The mechanical design of the allows it to withstand substantial horizontal side forces without damage, but its internal Pressductor sensor ignores horizontal forces and measures only the vertical component.

Q: Does the require periodic zero adjustment?

A: Because Pressductor sensors rely on the structural magnetic properties of solid steel rather than delicate strain gauge adhesives, long-term calibration drift is virtually non-existent. Re-zeroing is typically only needed if the physical roll or bearing assembly is altered.

Q: Are these load cells brand new original ABB hardware?

A: Yes. We stock factory-sealed New Surplus units as well as fully bench-tested, refurbished original ABB Pressductor load cells sourced from verified plant spares.

Q: What warranty comes with this load cell?

A: Every ABB sensor includes a full 12-month replacement warranty. If the unit suffers coil degradation, output non-linearity, or hardware defects within one year, we replace it directly from our inventory.