Design project of a miniature load transducer.

Abstract

In this project the design of a compact load transducer is proposed in order to know the tensile load of wires under their operational conditions. This transducer will consist basically of two components, an elastic element (to be designed) and some strain gauges (to be installed). Finite element analysis is a powerful tool when it comes to the design stage of any device, and with proper simulation software this process can be faster and more reliable. For the design of the elastic element, this kind of simulation software is used to understand its behaviour and adequate it for the correct stress measurements of steel wires from 0.4 to 1 mm in diameter. The mode of operation of the transducer would be: the wire induces strain into the elastic element, which is measured by the strain gauges (attached on its surface). Many wires will be tested and the relation between the strain and the load at which the wire is tensed will be characterized. Thus, with this analytical expression the tensile load can be easily determined. In the next chapters all the needed information about the designing process, the technology used, the mechanical behaviour of the device and at last but not least, the results once it is working, are exposed.