Technical Specification Overview

• Rated Strain Range: 50 to 1,100 micro-strain (withstands max single operation up to 1,500 micro-strain)

• Rated Output: 1.5 mV/V  for 1,000 micro-strain (nominal)

• Linearity & Repeatability:  0.1% FSD (Full Scale Deflection)

• Hysteresis: 0.1 % FSD

• Bridge Resistance:  350 Ohm (nominal)

• Electrical Connection: 3-meter, 4-core integral cable

• Physical Footprint: 60mm x 60mm (3-hole model configuration)

• Operating Temperature: -20ºC to +80ºC
• Environmental Protection: IP67

Industrial Applications

Bulk Storage, Silos, & Vessel Weighing

• The Pain Point: Traditional silo weighing methods require major engineering headaches. To install standard load cells under massive vessels, you have to lift the silo, empty its contents, execute complex concrete work, or cut and weld support legs. This creates massive operational downtime and compromises structural safety. Meanwhile, contact level switches and radar get blocked by dust or materials sticking to walls.

• The Datum Solution: The Series 460 acts as a totally non-intrusive vessel weighing system. By bolting directly to the existing support structure, it detects microscopic steel compression under the weight of the material inside. You can install it on silos, hoppers, bunkers, and bins without interrupting production or emptying inventory.

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)

• The Pain Point: Aging civil infrastructure and heavy capital machinery undergo continuous fatigue cycles. Bonding standard foil strain gauges to steelwork requires expert surface preparation, fine wiring, and protective soldering in the field—processes that struggle to hold up against rough environmental elements over time.

• The Datum Solution: Engineered for long-term structural health monitoring (SHM), the Series 460 delivers the rugged, robust benefits of a complex strain gauge installation within a single bolt-on housing. It continuously monitors tensile and compressive bending stresses from $50\text{ to }1,100\ \mu\varepsilon$ on bridges, oil rigs, ship hulls, and building roofs. Its IP67 rating ensures dust-tight and water-resistant defense in harsh field environments.

On-Board Vehicle Load Monitoring

• The Pain Point: Haul trucks, trailers, and commercial vehicles face severe fines for overloaded axles, along with accelerated tire wear and structural damage. However, integrating complex inline weighing mechanics into a heavy vehicle’s chassis or forged axles is expensive, and standard sensors suffer from massive zero-shifts when hit with dynamic shock loads.

• The Datum Solution: The compliant design of the Series 460 handles harsh shock loads effortlessly without zero-shifting. When bolted to forged vehicle axles or chassis beams, it monitors weight distribution dynamically across the vehicle. It provides a live, continuous data stream straight to the vehicle’s onboard systems to ensure maximum legal capacity without risking damage.

Manufacturing Automation & Process Control

• The Pain Point: High-tonnage factory machinery—like stamping presses, rotary car dumpers, and injection molding tie-bars—frequently crack or fail due to asymmetric loading or tool misfeeds. Traditional stress monitoring devices cannot easily fit onto these cramped, curved, or pre-existing flat steel structures.

• The Datum Solution: Measuring just 60mm x 60mm, this compact 3-hole sensor fits cleanly onto structural components to act as an instantaneous overload protection system. Because it tracks micro-strain directly, it catches tool breakage or clamp misalignment before a catastrophic machine failure occurs.

Why Engineers Choose the Datum Series 460

Unique 3-Hole Temperature Compensation

Outdoor environments expose sensors to massive temperature swings, causing typical strain gauges to drift and report false data. The Datum Series 460 features a unique 3-hole geometry that mechanically isolates and cancels out the thermal expansion and contraction of the host material. As the environmental temperature fluctuates, the sensor isolates external thermal effects and delivers only the pure, true load strain data.

Seamless Systems Integration

The Series 460 is fully compatible with an extensive ecosystem of load indicators, signal conditioners, and amplifiers. Whether your architecture relies on a direct serial link to a PC, an analog input (0 – 10V  or 4 – 20mA  into a data logger or PLC, or dynamic digital formats like CANbus, integration is direct and simple. Multiple sensors can also be connected in parallel to monitor complex structures smoothly.

Built For the World’s Harshest Environments

Pre-tested and finalized at assembly, this universal sensor operates reliably from-20ºC to +80ºC  . It requires zero delicate field soldering, fine wiring, or adhesives. Beyond its IP67 seal, the robust design is highly resistant to industrial and outdoor chemical splashes, including diesel, oils, hydraulic fluid, salt spray, and dilute acids.