Continuous calibration of force transducers

摘要

A technique for calibrating force transducers under dynamic input conditions is reported and evaluated. The output of a test transducer is determined at a number of points on an applied input force ramp by comparison with a calibrated reference transducer connected in series, enabling the output sensitivity of the test transducer to be determined. Experimental results show that transducer output values obtained using this dynamic calibration technique are in agreement with those obtained using a static calibration procedure to within 0.05 percent. This continuous calibration technique provides an alternative to calibrating the transducer statically, greatly reducing the time required for transducer calibration. Investigation of the creep characteristics of a range of test transducers demonstrates that creep performance is a major contribution to agreement between transducers in continuous calibrations, leading to possible techniques for the correction and subsequent improvement of calibration results.