Finite element analysis has been proved a vital factor for design studies of mechanical elements. The present paper discusses the role of finite element analysis in finding the locations of strain gauges so that the performance of the force transducers may be improved. Two ring-shaped force transducers of capacities 20 and 50 kN have been developed and the strain gauges have been placed suitably at the different locations according to the stress–strain distributions. Both force transducers have been metrologically characterized according to the calibration procedure based on standard ISO 376-2004 and IS 4169-1988 (re-affirmed 2003). The metrological results have ruled that both the force transducers have significant variations in the relative hysteresis deviations, while the differences between other factors like relative deviations because of repeatability error, reproducibility error, resolution error and zero error are not significant and thereby improve metrological properties. The results have been discussed and presented here.