Do You Need To Calibrate A Strain Gauge Sensor?

A strain gage, properly bonded to the surface of a test specimen, will detect any strains introduced into the surface of the specimen since the strain is transferred through the bond-line and gage backing to the gage sensing grid. These resistance changes are quite small and difficult to measure so, the strain gage is electrically arranged into a Wheatstone bridge circuit. The electrical imbalance created by the gage resistance change under load results in a voltage change which can be more easily measured. By measuring this change in voltage with a Model P3 Strain Indicator and Recorder, or any of our other precision instruments, and applying the gage factor (provided on each strain gage package), the strains on the surface of the test specimen, which produced the resistance change in the strain gage, can be determined.