What are the solutions to measure torque?

In the design and manufacturing industries, torque measurement is a big challenge and becomes a relevant measurement in order to define / validate:

• mounting specifications / clamping
• product characteristics such as motors, generators, wind turbines ...
• the accuracy of tools such as wrenches or screwdrivers

Measuring torque can therefore quantify the mechanical rotating action on a physical property, expressed in Nm, lb.in or even g.cm. This measure can be done in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions.
Here are some typical applications requiring torque measurements which are usually performed using a Torque Gauge:

• measuring torque of a screw connection (friction, break ...)
• measuring the torque of unscrewing a bottle cap (water, perfume), circlip ...
• measure the starting torque of an electric drill
• measurement of torque on a motor shaft
• measuring the transmission torque on a pulley
• measuring the torque and rotational angle of a mixer

Torque measurement can be done in two ways: with a static torque sensor for measurements requiring less than one revolution, or a rotary torque sensor when you want to measure rotary drive systems.

What is a static torque sensor?
A static torque sensor consists of static / non-moving components and mate with your system to measure the rotating torque.
Static torque sensors are easily adaptable to various applications thanks to the wide selection they offer in terms of size, shape and capacity. We offer a wide torque measurement range from 0.12Nm to 1000Nm. These readily applications such as:

Measuring assembly connections                       Measuring the torque required to unscrew bottle caps
                

What are the important things to remember before using a static torque sensor?
Most static sensors are not designed to absorb axial forces, so it is highly recommended to control how your sensor will fit when designing your measurement system setup. Also, in order to guarantee accurate and repeatable torque measurements, it is important to ensure that the rotational force is applied perpendicularly.

What is a rotary torque sensor?

Unlike the static sensor, the rotary torque sensor consists of driven, rotating elements (usually a shaft) and therefore is ideal for systems designed for continuous rotation. The setup must be associated with a braking system.
 They fit perfectly in applications such as measuring the starting torque on an electric screwdriver or measuring the torque on motor shafts. Our range of rotary torque sensors meets all of these applications. They can be linked to your production equipment through USB, RS232 or TTL outputs.

What are the important things to remember before using a rotary torque sensor?
Make sure the drive speed per minute of your rotating element (RPM) is compatible with the sensor specifications. Also, the static sensor alignment of your entire system must be perfect in order to ensure precise accuracy in your measurement. Thus, the use of couplings is highly recommended to compensate for any potential axial, radial, or angular misalignment in between your rotational axes.



Example of rotary torque sensor mounting::


Couplings ::  used to connect the components together but also to reduce errors due to misalignment between the motor and the sensor, or the sensor and the brake.
Power brake :allows you to vary the load applied to the motor, and hence the resultant torque.
The Centor Touch display :gives real-time value of the torque versus time or angle if necessary.
 

If we require more data?

The rotary torque sensor may be associated with a rotary encoder, and thus measure the torque and the rotational angle. Torque and angle data are then collected and displayed simultaneously on the two channel torque gauge. Applications that typically require this type of torque measurement are systems such as mixers or endless rotary knobs. To meet these needs of collecting two channels of data at once, ANDILOG offers the Centor Touch Dual

And finally, , some applications require a defined and constant speed. To meet this need we developed the motorized rotary torque meter, called the TorkHeadDriver, which measures torque and angle at a controlled speed. This provides repeatable results that are not dependent on the velocity variations in your measurements

Examples of applications:

• Screwing / Unscrewing of nuts and screws
• Measuring components such as encoders, switches ...etc
• on mechanical components in dashboards of cars / airplanes