Calibration of multicomponent force and moment transducers using uniaxial force standard machines integrated with tilted plates

Abstract

Traceability of multicomponent force and moment transducers is a metrological priority as stated within the document of future strategy 2017 to 2027 of the Consultative Committee of Mass and Related Quantities of BIPM. In this paper, a calibration system using force standard machines integrated with tilted plates is described. The main advantage of this method is the possibility to apply force and moment components using existing uniaxial force standard machines without the necessity to modify them or to develop specific ones. On the other hand, force and moment components cannot be fully independently applied. Expanded uncertainties of the applied side forces and moments are in the order of around 5 %, acceptable for several industrial applications. A procedure for the calibration and the uncertainty assessment of multicomponent force and moment transducers is also provided. Calibration results, in terms of main and cross-talk sensitivities, of a six-components transducer are shown. This method is easily implementable and can be adopted to improve the current standard.

Influence of Parasitic Components in the Static Calibration of Uniaxial Force Transducers

“…Known side forces and bending moments are generated by integrating the FSMs with hardened steel tilted plates, between which the transducer under calibration is placed, and by misaligning the trasducer with respect to the center of the machine which coincide with the axis of the applied vertical gravitational force. By modulating the angle of tilt 𝛼 or by misaligning the transducers by a displacement 𝑟 with respect to the machine loading axis, it is possible to decompose the applied reference force generated by the FSM, 𝐹, with the result of generating vertical, 𝐹 v , and side forces, 𝐹 s , or a bending moment, 𝑀 b [3], [4]. The relevant equations can be easily obtained from elementary trigonometrical laws, as shown in equation (1).…”