Richmond Creates Custom Load Cells For GT3 Sports Car Racing

New custom-designed load cells from Richmond Industries are at the heart of hi-tech Set Up Wheels being used to race-balance GT3 racing sports cars.

GT3 pit crews are using the Set Up Wheels to balance their 1.3-tonne cars to within tolerances of 100gms to ensure perfect handling around the tracks.

Crews use Set Up Wheels during testing and before each race. The sophisticated wireless equipment sends data directly to technicians’ laptops.

 

The Set Up Wheels are produced by Angle Consulting. Richmond has created the bespoke diaphragm load cell that forms the electronic weighing brain at the heart of the equipment.

Set Up Wheels are used extensively in Formula 1 but Angle’s equipment is the most hi-tech system of its kind to be used in GT3 racing. It is also more affordable, being 40 per cent cheaper than the F1 system.

The Set Up Wheels were needed quickly to ensure maximum testing time for the GT3 cars. The new 12-round GT3 season starts on April 8 at the Nogaro circuit in Gers, France.

That gave Reading-based load cell manufacturer Richmond Industries just a few weeks to design and manufacture the new custom load cell – many competitors take up to two months just to supply standard load cells.

Hertfordshire-based Angle Consulting’s owner Perry Cohn said: “It was a very rapid turnaround – we were very impressed with what Richmond Industries achieved.”

Angle Consulting is an elite British engineering company that specialises in bespoke solutions for high performance sports such as the Olympics (in association with UK Sport) and motorsports, including Formula 1, NASCAR, MotoGP and Superbikes.

Load cell specialist Richmond Industries works in a number of high performance sectors and thrives on challenges like the GT3 project for Angle.

Director Chris Beasley said: “We carried out the load cell design work in just a few days. It then took another two weeks to manufacture and system test the 40 wireless load cells.

“Most companies would take six to eight weeks just to deliver standard parts so for a custom load cell to be shipped in such a short time is remarkable for this industry,” he added.

Load cell UK manufacturer Richmond Industries has been designing and building load cells at its Reading factory for the last 20 years.

Richmond designs, manufactures and supplies a wide range of force measurement products including traditional load cells, USB load cells, wireless load cells, load links, electronics and accessories. Its services include inspection and repair, calibration and system specification.

Richmond’s load cell amplifier range includes all-in-one amplifiers and displays, universal load cell amplifiers, USB load cell adapters and hand held load cell displays.

For more information about hi-tech load cells from Richmond Industries’ Load Cell Shop, contact Chris Beasley, +44 1189 310 396, www.loadcellshop.co.uk or email chris@loadcellshop.co.uk