Description

Technical Specifications

• Product Model: PFCL201CE-50KN
• Brand: ABB
• Warranty: One Year
• Product Type: Pressductor PillowBlock Load Cell, vertical measuring
• Nominal Load: 50 kN (11,250 lbf)
• Input Voltage: AC bridge excitation, supplied by ABB Pressductor tension controller (PFEA111 / PFEA112 / PFEA122)
• Operating Temperature: –20 °C to +80 °C (compensated range +20 °C to +80 °C)
• Storage Temperature: –40 °C to +85 °C
• Response Time: < 5 ms (magnetoelastic Pressductor principle)
• Protection Class: IP65 (CE variant)
• Accuracy Class: ±0.5 % of nominal load
• Output Frequency: DC to 500 Hz signal bandwidth
• Rated Current Range: Not applicable (passive bridge sensor)
• Communication Interface: Shielded 6-wire cable to PFXC junction box / PFEA controller
• Supported Protocols: Analog Pressductor bridge signal; controller-side outputs include 4–20 mA, PROFIBUS DP, Modbus RTU/TCP, Ethernet/IP
• Overload Capacity: 75 kN at ±1 % accuracy; 500 kN maximum without permanent shift (10× nominal)
• Dimensions: PillowBlock housing; length 250 mm, height 156 mm (CE variant)
• Material: Stainless steel SIS 2387 / DIN X4CrNiMo 16-5-1
• Weight: Approximately 37 kg

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Product Overview

The PFCL201CE-50KN is an ABB Pressductor PillowBlock load cell engineered for vertical force measurement in web tension systems. It operates on ABB’s magnetoelastic Pressductor principle, where mechanical load applied to a stainless steel core alters its magnetic permeability, generating an electrical output directly proportional to the applied force. The CE variant uses a solid stainless steel housing with IP65 protection, making it suitable for wet, corrosive, or washdown environments in paper, steel, aluminum, and converting lines. Installed in matched pairs beneath a measuring roll, two cells isolate the vertical component of web tension and reject the static roll mass, delivering a clean tension signal to an ABB PFEA-series controller. With a 50 kN nominal rating, ±0.5 % accuracy, and 10× overload tolerance, it handles heavy-gauge metal and high-tension paper machine sections while surviving roll changes and web breaks. Process and maintenance engineers rely on it for closed-loop tension control, nip load balancing, and roll-force monitoring on continuous processing lines where signal drift or loss causes scrap, sheet breaks, or drive-coordination faults.

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Measuring Principle

Unlike strain-gauge load cells, the PFCL201 series uses the Pressductor (magnetoelastic) effect:

1. An AC excitation winding drives a magnetic flux through a laminated stainless steel core.
2. Applied force changes the core’s permeability anisotropically.
3. A secondary winding detects the resulting flux redistribution and outputs a voltage proportional to load.
4. The signal is demodulated and linearized in the paired PFEA controller.

This principle provides high stiffness, short recovery time, and inherent immunity to minor mechanical wear, which is why Pressductor cells are favored on heavy industrial web lines.

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Mechanical and Environmental Design

• Solid stainless steel body (SIS 2387 / X4CrNiMo 16-5-1) resists corrosion from process chemicals, cooling water, and atmospheric chloride exposure.
• IP65 sealing on the CE variant permits hose-down cleaning and outdoor or end-of-line installation.
• PillowBlock form factor allows the measuring roll shaft to seat directly into the cell, eliminating complex mounting brackets and reducing alignment error.
• High overload margin — 500 kN maximum without permanent calibration shift — protects the cell during web breaks, roll crashes, and maintenance lifting.
• Permitted transverse force within accuracy: 25 kN; permitted axial force within accuracy: 12.5 kN (at 300 mm mounting height).

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System Integration

The PFCL201CE-50KN is one element of a complete tension-measurement chain:

1. Two load cells mounted symmetrically at each roll neck.
2. PFXC141 junction box sums and protects the paired signals.
3. PFEA111 / PFEA112 / PFEA122 controller excites the bridge, linearizes the signal, and provides process outputs and fieldbus communication.
4. Drive or PLC uses the tension reading for closed-loop regulation.

For correct operation, both cells in a pair must share the same nominal load rating and be mounted at equal height. The controller must be configured for the corresponding cell type and nominal load.