Data Collection and Analysis Software
MESUR®gauge and MESUR®gauge Plus expand the functionality of force and torque measuring instruments and test stands. Both programs share the ability to capture and display data in graphical format for load vs. time or load vs. travel vs. time. MESUR®gauge Plus adds the ability to control the motion of Mark-10 motorized test stands, coordinating motion […]
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Mark-10 Force and Torque Measurement
Mark-10 defines accuracy as a percentage of full scale of the instrument. To determine the measurement error as an actual load value, multiply the accuracy percentage by the instrument’s capacity.

Example 1 – M5-50 force gauge:

The accuracy is ±0.1% of full scale (FS). Multiply ±0.1% by 50 lbF, which equals ±0.05 lbF. This means that any displayed reading may be higher or lower by up to 0.05 lbF. For example, if the displayed value is 30.00 lbF, the true reading will be ≥29.95 lbF and ≤30.05 lbF.

Example 2 – Plug & Test® indicators and sensors:

The accuracies of the sensor and the indicator must be added together. Models 7i and 5i indicators have accuracy values of ±0.1% FS, while the Model 3i is rated at ±0.2% FS. Using the example of a Series R50 torque sensor with Model 3i indicator, add ±0.35% to ±0.2%, which equals ±0.55%. In a specific example for the Model MR50-12, the accuracy becomes ±0.55% x 135 Ncm = ±0.7425 Ncm.

Percentage of Reading:

Because of these fixed errors, lower measured values will be more inaccurate as a percentage of reading.

Further using the example of an M5-50 force gauge, a fixed error of ±0.05 lbF represents a higher error as a percentage of reading for a load of 1.00 lbF than 30.00 lbF.

To calculate the error as a percentage of reading, divide the fixed error by the measured value. For a 1.00 lbF load, the fixed error equals ±0.05 ÷ 1.00 lbF = ±5% of reading. For a 30.00 lbF load, the fixed error equals ±0.05 ÷ 30.00 lbF = ±0.17% of reading.

Conclusion:

Because of the relationship between load and accuracy, we recommend selecting an instrument capacity as close as possible to the maximum measured load.

Sampling rate is defined as the rate at which the instrument’s electronics communicate with its load sensor. A faster sampling rate more accurately captures the peak load which occurred during the test. This is especially apparent in applications where the load builds up and falls very quickly – such as the break testing of glass or ceramics. The graphs below illustrate the advantage of a fast sampling rate:

The graph at left shows that an instrument with slower sampling rate may not accurately detect the true peak. In the graph at right, the faster rate accurately captures the true peak.

Sampling Rate vs. Output Rate

While Mark-10 instruments internally sample at up to 14,000 Hz, a typical streaming output rate to MESURgauge software is approximately 25 - 50 Hz. If a faster data collection rate is required, our Series 7 force gauges and indicators can collect data at up to 14,000 Hz, store the data internally, and bulk-download the data to a PC when the test is complete.