At the mtec Exhibition on Sensors, Measurement and Instrumentation, 12th to 13thFebruary 2003, NEC, Birmingham, Brunel and Southampton Universities will be demonstrating new 'singing' digital strain gauge technology and comparing it with the traditional resistance strain gauge technology.

Applications include load cells, torque sensors, pressure sensors and wireless batteryless sensors for remote sensing.
The developments are being supported by the UK Sensing Faraday Partnership (Intersect) with funding from the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council(EPSRC) and 10industrial collaborators: Rolls-Royce, Corus, NPL, First Inertia Switch, Ellison Sensors, Applied Weighing, Industrial Measurements, Norbar Tools, Crane Electronics, Advanced Witness Systems.
The project is entitled 'Resonant Microsensor Modules for Measurement of Physical Quantities (REMISE)'.
Both etched metallic and silicon triple beam resonators are being used. Thick-film piezoelectric drive/pick-up elements are printed on the resonators to provide excitation and detection so that high volume cheap manufacture will be possible. The new gauges can be used with stiff structures and have high measurement resolutions and overload capabilities, miniscule power consumptions and provide direct frequency outputs compatible with digital processing.
The metallic devices operate in air with Qfactors greater than 1000 and frequencies in the range 5kHz to 20KHz; they can be easily attached to surfaces and structures. Gauge lengths are about 12mm, with intended designs of 6 mm lengths.
Application demonstrators under development include torque measurement for electric power-assisted steering and for front-end shafts of jet engines, new load cells and weighing scales, and pressure transducers. Some of these applications will employ wireless batteryless operation.

ENQUIRY No 54

Brunel University is based in Uxbridge, West London, UK. www.brunel.ac.uk/research/bcmm/remise