The development of an experimental beam support with an integrated load cell

Abstract

This article gives a detailed description of the development of an experimental sensor beam support with an integrated load cell, in this paper also named a smart support. The smart support is designed as a part of a beam bending experimental apparatus. For small universities, the financial effort needed to equip experimental mechanics labs is considered unjustified for the purpose of undergraduate mechanics classes. Thus the majority of experiments conducted in mechanics and similar classes are done during lectures as 5-minute presentations using available, inexpensive and simple apparatus. Such apparatus was produced in faculty workshops, by students as a part of undergraduate theses or projects with sponsoring companies. This article describes a process of building experiment apparatus through the student undergraduate theses and cooperation with local companies. It also shows the current state of beam bending apparatus at University North and the process of creating the initial design of a smart support. Some properties of two typical versions of load cells containing strain gauges were investigated using numerical simulations. According to load cell shapes, two different design solutions of smart support were proposed. The final chapter describes future plans to create data acquisition and ideas for developing further experimental modules or devices for various other experiments.