Rocker Panel Restraint Load Cells for Moving Ground Plane Systems

Direct-fit replacement transducers for vertical under-floor restraint actuators. Engineered with hardware-native creep and hysteresis compensation to eliminate the time-domain drift inherent in legacy OEM hardware.

The Time-Domain Metrology Problem

Legacy OEM restraint transducers are structurally sized to survive the loads of the aerodynamics of a moving ground plane, but they critically fail in time-domain metrology. During steady-state aerodynamic runs, these raw, uncompensated sensors exhibit severe mechanical hysteresis and strain gauge creep.

Because legacy systems lack active creep compensation—at both the hardware and software levels—the load cell’s output drifts continuously under sustained loads. This uncorrected drift silently corrupts the vehicle’s Fz summation and dynamic downforce distribution data, forcing aerodynamicists to base critical design decisions on shifting baselines.

SE-RPR Architecture: Hardware-Native Stability

The SE-RPR series is engineered specifically to solve this measurement gap. We do not rely on the facility's DAQ software to guess and subtract sensor drift; we eliminate the drift physically within the transducer.

• Native Creep Compensation: Utilizing advanced strain gauge matching and proprietary substrate bonding profiles, the SE-RPR series physically counteracts mechanical and thermal creep. The sensor output remains locked, maintaining a strict 0.05% Full Scale accuracy regardless of the test duration.

• Hysteresis-Free Linearity: The transducer geometry and material heat-treat processes are optimized to eliminate mechanical memory. The Fz force measured during suspension jounce is mathematically identical to the force measured during rebound.

• Multi-Axis Expansion: Available as a direct single-axis (Fz) replacement, or upgraded Triaxial (Fz, Mx, My) and 6-DOF architectures for facilities looking to isolate overturning and rolling moments from the primary under-belt balances.