Tips

July 10, 2015
My Soldering Pencil Won’t Go There!
Sometimes strain gages are installed in locations that can't be reached with a soldering pencil, such as the internal surfaces of pipes, in a hole, in a tube, in a box, or even with a fox. There...
July 8, 2015
Wiring a Three-Wire Quarter Bridge
A strain gage acts like a variable resistor that changes value with surface displacement. It is still a resistor without polarity, so you can wire a three-wire quarter bridge to the strain gage with...
July 6, 2015
Wire Stripping
When stripping wires, don't use mechanical methods such as diagonal cutters or your teeth. You might end up breaking strands of the wire, which could lead to a cable fatigue issue. Worse yet, you...
July 2, 2015
Always “Finish” First
Prior to strain gage bonding, preparing the surface of the test article is paramount, and proper cleanliness and surface finish are critical. Surface irregularities in a test article disturb the...
June 30, 2015
Testing Very High Strains
When testing very high strains, we recommend performing a shunt calibration representing the targeted strain in order to properly calibrate the entire system. Higher strain representation will...
June 24, 2015
Avoid the Voids
When bonding strain gages, it's critical to "avoid the voids." Bubbles — or voids — in the glueline result in poor zero stability, problems with drift, and zero shift.
June 18, 2015
Refrigeration is a Moot Point
The shelf life of conditioner, neutralizer, and catalyst C is not extended by refrigeration. Catalyst C actually has an unrefrigerated shelf life that is longer than the extended 200 adhesive shelf...
June 8, 2015
A Clean Tip is the Key to Successful Soldering 
The tip of your soldering pencil oxidizes rapidly, prohibiting heat transfer to the target soldering location. Keeping the pencil tip clean with a thin coat of solder between uses will help assure...
June 3, 2015
Frequency Characteristics
When it comes to your gage's frequency characteristics, keep in mind that it is the gage length that will have the greatest influence on them.
May 28, 2015
High-Temperature Applications
For high-temperature applications, use a strain gage constructed with a back rated for temperatures greater than +200°C, such as Micro-Measurements'  WA-, WK-, SA-, or SK-Series models.