The 1000kg Button Load Cell is a force sensing module - a carefully designed metal structure, with small elements called strain gauges mounted in precise locations on the structure. Load cells are designed to measure a specific type of force, and ignore other forces being applied.
This Button Load Cell is used in heavy applications. The bottom of the load cell can be bolted to a surface, and force applied to the button on the top. By loading only the button, which is slightly rounded, the load cell is less sensitive to errors resulting from the load not pushing down exactly straight on the load cell.
Note: Load cells require a power source and produce a very small voltage differential when under strain. In order to read this signal, an amplifier or a board with a high-precision analog-to-digital converter is required.