Trying to find new measurement tool.

[sykki]

Hey.
I'm might need some other perspectives for you guys because i have been thinking this 3 days allready, either way too difficultly or complitely wrong... I gotta find new measurement tool becaus the old one is going to break in any minute and is like 30yr old and it's not accurate anymore. The deal is that i havave to measure gap between two aluminium blades and there are 5 different distances with those gaps (16mm, 19mm, 20mm. 28mm and 32mm) depending on object i'm working with. Those blades slide down to busbar joint and then the compression force in the gap should be around 350-500 Newtons. I have been searching all around google but havn't found any decent solution to measureing because the 16mmm gab is so narrow. There are many suitable load cells but i just can't see the simple way how to build a proper tool with those.
Am I just missing something substantive or just badly over thinking it? I'm really not familiar with theses kind of measurement things and really hope that there is someone and gives a good hint atleast.

 

[btrueblood]

What are you trying to measure, force, gap (distance) or both simultaneously? Presumably not when the busbar is live...

Can you measure force on the actuation lever and deduce the compression force from that measurement?

Can you diagram the configuration or upload a photo? Kinda difficult to envision the problem based on your description.

 

[sykki]

ok let's try again. I need to loosen or tighten the nut if the compressive force against the busbar in the gap does not meet the reguired amount of Newtons.
I might have find allready suitable solution but i'm still interested to see other possible answers.

 

[BrianE22]

Not sure where you are measuring the force - is it the clamp load of the bolt?

 

[waross]

Suitable Bellville washers under the nut. Tighten until the washers are almost flat. Select, check, calibrate the number of washers needed with a load cell in place of the busbar.
Link
p.s. Shim your load cell until it is the same thickness as the busbar.
Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter

 

[IRstuff]

How were you measuring the force before?

Seems like you're not telling us the spatial constraints and dimensions, which is probably driving the problem.

TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

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[btrueblood]

Waross' plan sounds most straightforward, and could even be made part of the installation so the force could be maintained over some number of actuation/wear cycles.

 

[waross]

And if wear allows the washers to be not compressed enough, then all it takes is a wrench to re-tighten until the washers are almost flat again.
p.s. Thanks for the support btrueblood.
Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter

 

[HCBFlash]

Sykki, I hope you've found a solution, and if so, I suspect we'll never be visited by you again. That only tells you a tiny bit about me. We still know nearly nothing about the mechanism(s) you sought help with.

After 35 years a handheld plastic dial Caliper or Vernier caliper, as are so common and cheap, will lose accuracy and fail. We have no idea if that's the instrument you're using! Gage blocks are a very very common tool for setting gaps and measuring. But we have no clue as to what the actual environment is, the mechanism is, the challenges are, the impediments are, what types of instruments you're using, whether they be handheld or mounted, time, space, clearance, or weight constraints, whether they give you a visual measurement or a yes/no audible signal, or anything! Unfortunately your grasp of the language and vocabulary don't help you (or us) either. We have an expression that "a picture is worth a thousand words". I suspect about 10 or 20 pictures could actually get some good help from us, but until then you'll have people throwing guesses your way and not being of much help to you whatsoever. Of course this doesn't really make anyone happy or help anyone, least of all yourself.

.

(Me,,,wrong? ...aw, just fine-tuning my sarcasm!)