Vibrating Wire Gauges & Their Use In Civil Engineering
Vibrating wire strain gauges have a rich history rooted in early engineering practices and remain a critical tool for specific civil engineering applications. Kevin Copleston, co-founder of Sensor Solutions Ltd, shared insights into their origins and modern uses. The Origins of Vibrating Wire Gauges The concept behind vibrating wire gauges is elegantly simple: a wire […]
Measuring Different Forces: Torque, Pressure And Bending Moments
An Interview with Kevin Copleston, one of the founders of Sensor Solutions Ltd Lets just look at modes in a load cell, can use axial, have a straight forward column, put strain gauges on, so measuring axial load, or could look at bending where got a beam, apply a load and put a strain gauge […]
Crack Detection And Crack Propagation Sensors
An Interview with Kevin Copleston, one of the founders of Sensor Solutions Ltd Crack detection and crack propagation sensors are two different things. Say you’ve got an aircraft structure and you’ve got two components riveted together. These are the typical weak points, cracks often propagate out from this type structure. The first thing you can […]
Cryogenic Load Cell Installations
An Interview with Kevin Copleston, one of the founders of Sensor Solutions Ltd Sensor Solutions: ‘So tell me about cryogenic load cells, is just the bonding problems that you have?’ No with cryogenic, there’s a couple of things, down at cryogenic temperatures you get a difference between one gauge and another gauge. You get huge […]
High Temperature Load Cell Installations
An Interview with Kevin Copleston, one of the founders of Sensor Solutions Ltd Sensor Solutions: ‘So what’s the difference between cryogenic and very high temperature work?’ At high temperatures everything becomes like chewing gum. Above about 460 degrees C, all organic materials start to outgas, they start to break down. Backing materials start to breakup, […]
How Multi-Axis Load Cells And Sting Balances Work
The relationship between sting balances and multi-axis transducersAn Interview with Kevin Copleston, one of the founders of Sensor Solutions Ltd Sensor Solutions: ‘So a multi-axis load cell is really?’ Right well, it depends. I’ll make a simple 3 axis to show what you want. Here’s a ships propeller shaft: Engine, gearbox, propeller shaft, down to […]
Measuring Tension Load In A Crash Test
Automotive crash test: How to solve the problem of measuring tension load – Force Sensing bolts, an innovative solution. Sensor Solutions was approached with a problem of measuring tension load in a batch of miniature bolts for an automotive crash test. A small hole was drilled into each of the bolts and a full bridge measuring […]
A Layman’s Guide To Signal Conditioning: Its Role In Data Acquisition And Data Logging.
What is signal conditioning? Why is it used in data acquisition and data logging? A strain gauge on its own does not transmit any form of signal, it that merely has a resistance in its circuit, which varies as the gauge is distorted when the object to which it is bonded is placed under stress […]
Strain Gauge Installation On A Test Prototype
We have recently worked with an Aerospace manufacturer on a specialist project; a strain gauge installation for structural monitoring and integrity testing of a prototype aerofoil component, an outboard flap. The manufacturer had a proposed design for a new upgraded flap, but before it could get anywhere near being placed in production for use on […]
Using Rosette Strain Gauges With Data Acquisition For Fault Analysis In The Aerospace Industry
Strain analysis pin-points potential cause of window de-laminations in service. A client was experiencing premature de-lamination of a production window that was subject to pressure cycles in service. Determining the cause We advised the client of a strain gauge based solution to determine whether the de-lamination was being caused by higher strains than the Finite […]
Measuring Stresses And Strains Experienced By A Sea Rescue Boat
We have won a new contract from a leading marine rescue service to measure the stress and strains endured by their rescue boat while at sea. We will be completely instrumenting a service rescue craft with strain gauges, sensors and accelerometers, and then installing a full data logging system. The boat will be rigorously tested […]
Structural Testing & Load Monitoring Of Ramps And Bridges At A Ferry Terminal
We were recently approached by a Harbour authority worried that the harbour berth unloading ramps were reaching the end of their projected 20 year life. The replacement cost was going to run into millions and they were interested in finding out whether the structural limits of the ramps were really being reached, due to the […]
