Introduction

Because a strain gage can perform no better than the adhesive with which it is bonded to the test member, the adhesive is a vitally important component in every strain gage installation. Although there is no single adhesive which is ideally suited to all applications, Micro-Measurements offers a wide selection of adhesives to cover the spectrum of stress analysis testing, and for use in transducer manufacturing. Micro-Measurements adhesives are specially formulated for highest performance under the recommended environmental conditions, and are packaged to provide the user with maximum control in mixing and application.

Instruction Bulletins

Each adhesive is accompanied by specific instructions for its proper handling - storage, mixing, application, curing, and, if appropriate, post-curing. The adhesive containers are also dated to assure freshness of the contents.

Note : It is usually misguided economy to attempt installing strain gages with outdated adhesive, or adhesive that has not been stored as recommended. It should also be noted that conventional industrial and consumer adhesives are not generally suitable for bonding strain gages.

Adhesive Selection

The two most important considerations for proper adhesive selection are compatibility with the backing material of the strain gage and the operating temperature range over which the bond is expected to perform.

To assist you in your selection, a table of Application Profiles define the recommended adhesive(s) for use with a particular strain gage series over various operating temperature ranges. When more than one adhesive is listed for a particular gage/test condition, preference would be given to that adhesive which is easiest to apply while still meeting all of the other performance criteria.

In addition to the primary adhesive selection criteria presented here, other factors (such as test duration, cyclic endurance required, and accuracy required) may have to be considered in the test profile. Factors such as these are addressed in Vishay Measurements Group, Inc. Tech Note TN-505, Strain Gage Selection - Criteria, Procedures, Recommendations . There are also many times when the interaction of test characteristics is too complex for selecting the proper adhesive from a chart with a high degree of confidence. In these cases, we suggest that you contact our Applications Engineering Department for recommendations.
 

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