C4A Strain Gage Installation with M-Bond 200 Adhesive (Composite Beam)

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Composite Testing With Strain Gages For Beginners. (Training Video)

There is a conception within engineering that strain gages are some kind of art practiced by magicians in dark laboratories using alchemy. This seems especially true as soon as plastics and composites are mentioned.

Composites, and especially carbon composites (CFRP, Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer), are often considered modern miracle materials. In reality carbon fibers have been around since the 1860s, and in their modern high-strength versions since the 1960s. Impregnated with a polymer matrix they offer strong, light alternatives to traditional engineering materials.

Strain gages have been around since the 1930s, greatly improved with the advent of foil construction in the 1950s, and further enhanced with our Advanced Sensors Technology in recent years. In other words, strain gages and composites have been part of the engineers’ toolbox for many decades.

Considering how long they’ve both been around there still seems to be a misconception when it comes to bonding. In reality strain gages are easy to bond to virtually every type of composite; in this case, “virtually” means all that we’ve tried so far! It just requires selection of the correct materials and techniques.

Strain gages, like any technology, just require a little tuition ideally through a recognized training workshop. Strain gages are ubiquitous, with applications in every aspect of our modern lifestyle, so it’s well worth taking time to gain familiarity with this simultaneously cutting-edge yet mature technology.