Load Measurements in Hostile Environments
Measuring heavy loads in hostile environments poses a wide range of challenges. In most cases, conventional load cells and load pins make measurements at temperatures that are tolerable to humans and in fairly benign environments, but what is the solution for applications where measurements are required in very hostile environments?
Sentran’s customer needed to weigh massive slabs of steel as part of its manufacturing process. Load pins are an integral part of the scale system in an overhead crane application. The crane / weighing system must weigh slabs of steel in a finishing department that processes the slabs to meet the required finished dimensions. Loads are lifted from a location in close proximity to molten steel, which exposes the load pins to temperatures up to +400 °F.
Sentran manufactures high temperature load pins that are designed to operate at a maximum temperature of +400 °F. While the strain gages are capable of higher temperature operation, the cables and connectors selected for this application limits operation to 400°F. The pins are constructed of heat-treated alloy steel or stainless steel. Measurement is accomplished utilizing Advanced Sensors J5K Series Transducer–Class® strain gages, which are specially manufactured by Micro-Measurements, to compensate for the change in modulus of elasticity of the load pin.
Read the full Case Study: Measuring Strain in Running Shoes under a Typical Running Condition
Products Used:
MMF017469 J5K-MC-S1448-350/DPM3 Transducer-Class® Gages
M-Bond 610 Adhesive
For more information on modulus compensation, please visit here.
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