Transducer’s worst enemy

Moisture may be a transducer’s worst enemy. Adequate protection of the strain gage circuit is critical for transducer stability and longevity.

While there are many moisture protection coatings available, most do not work well unless they are applied in rather thick and heavy coats. This is acceptable for some transducers, but many cannot tolerate a coating which reinforces and changes the spring element’s natural behavior. Significant creep under load is often the result.

M-Coat FBT, a soft protective coating, is available to provide good moisture protection without adding significant reinforcement to the transducer. In laboratory tests, the FBT proved superior to both silicone rubber and pre-softened wax, two popular low-modulus protective coatings.