Direct pneumatic pressure in a clamping technique during strain gauge bonding

A technique is described for the clamping of metallic foil strain gauges during epoxy adhesion bonding to non -porous surfaces. Following application of the uncured adhesive, the gauge is conformed to the surface using self-adhesive tape and the workpiece placed in a pressurised environment for the duration of cure. The pnematically derived clamping pressure is transmitted directly to the glue line, and is equal to the pressure within the containment vessel. Since the clamping pressure is both uniform over the strain gauge area, and readily reproducible between installations, it is possible to produce consistent gauge performance. The technique may offer time and cost advantages over classical clamping methods where gauges are installed on small, intricate, or batch components in stress analysis and transducer applications.