Facility
The Strain Gauging Laboratory provides a world class capability instrumenting bespoke force measurement systems and balances.
As well as instrumenting new equipment we can repair existing equipment including a complete strip down and replacement of all strain gauges (foil or semiconductor) and wiring. We can also install platinum resistance thermometers (PRTs).
If required, we can adjust the instrumentation wiring to remove the effect of steady state changes in temperature – a technique known as bridge thermal compensation. We can achieve thermal sensitivities within 5uV / V / °C for a temperature range of 20-60 °C.
We have an onsite balance calibration laboratory which provides a world class calibration service for force measurement systems from simple load cells to bespoke multi-component balances used in wind tunnel testing.
All electrical elements of the force measurement device or balance including strain gauges, wiring and tag boards have a protective coating applied as standard (maximum part volume: 1200mm x 600mm x 600mm). This coating increases resilience to manual handling, moisture and some chemicals providing a service life (operating within design loads and without chemical contamination) of at least 10 years.
