STRAIN GAUGE

A Strain gage (sometimes referred to as a Strain Gauge) is a sensor whose resistance varies
with applied force; It converts force, pressure, tension, weight, etc., into a change in electrical
resistance which can then be measured. When external forces are applied to a stationary object,
stress and strain are the result. Stress is defined as the object's internal resisting forces, and
strain is defined as the displacement and deformation that occur.

Types of Strain Gauge:

1. Thin-film Strain Gauges.
Thin- film strain gage is more advanced form of strain gauge as it doesn’t necessitate
adhesive bonding. A thin film strain gauge is constructed by first depositing an
electrical insulation, usually a ceramic onto the stressed metal surface, and then
depositing the strain gage onto this insulation layer. Techniques used to bond the
materials molecularly are vacuum deposition and sputtering method.

Advantages

a. Since the thin-film gage is molecularly bonded to the specimen, the installation is
very stable and the resistance values experience less drift.
b. The stressed force detector can be a metallic diaphragm or beam with a deposited
layer of ceramic insulation.

2. Diffused Semiconductor Strain Gauges.

A further improvement in strain gage technology was introduced with the advent of
diffused semiconductor strain gages since they purge the need for bonding agents.
Main features are listed below:

1. By eliminating bonding agents, errors due to creep and hysteresis also are eliminated.
2. The diffused semiconductor strain gage employs photolithography masking
techniques and solid-state diffusion of boron to molecularly bond the resistance
elements.
3. Diffused semiconductors are frequently used as sensing elements in pressure
transducers.
4.Limitations include sensitivity to ambient temperature variations, which can be
compensated by intelligent transmitter designs.

Advantages:
a. Small size
b. In-expensive
c. Accurate and repeatable
d. Available wide pressure range
e. Generate a strong output signal
3. Bonded Resistance Gauges

Following are the chief characteristics of bonded resistance strain gauges:

1. They are reasonably inexpensive.

2. They can pull off overall accuracy of better than +/-0.10%.
3. They are available in a short gauge length and have small physical size.
4. These strain gauges are only moderately affected by temperature changes.
5. They are extremely sensitive and have low mass.
6. Bonded resistance strain gages can be employed to measure both static and dynamic
strain.
7. These types of strain gauges are appropriate for a wide variety of environmental
conditions. They can measure strain in jet engine turbines operating at very high
temperatures and in cryogenic fluid application sat temperatures as low as -452*F
(-269*C).