strain Gauge recommendation

[hunterage2000]

Hi can someone please recommend a strain gauge to measure mass flow rate of a pneumatic conveying system. The full bridge circuit strain gauges are to be placed on a cylindrical cantilever beam with a length of roughly 160-170mm and a diameter of 36mm and made of iron.

From what I have read copper-nickel alloy has the best combination of desirable characteristics such as:

linear strain sensitivity in the elastic range (around 2)
high resistivity for a smaller size
low hysteresis for accuracy and repeatability
low temperature co-efficient for good temp compensation (not sure if this applies as average temp is 20.5c)

Polyimides is the most used backing material for general purpose use.

Can someone recommend one for me?

[Lewis_G]

Hi,

National instruments do not sell strain gauges but you may find these documents useful:

Choosing the Right Strain-Gauge for Your Application
Measuring Strain with Strain Gages

I can only suggest looking at the Specifications for strain gauges on websites like RS (electronics distributor).

I hope this helps.

 

[aeastet]

We usually use Vishay for our strain gages.