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LW Finder by LW Engineering

Strain Gauge Placement Software

LW Finder takes the guesswork out of strain gauge placement by finding the best locations to place strain gauges and predicting measurement error.

LW Finder is for structures that are expected to have a relatively linear relationship between load and measured strain. The Extra Errors module provides additional support for structures with non-linear effects, such as plastic deformation. LW Finder compensates for non-linear behavior in a structure and can be configured to take into account the properties of an individual strain measurement setup.

Additionally, this software allows users to prioritize the load cases that have minimum error and select gauge locations accordingly. Finally, the error prediction allows engineers to know ahead of time if the test will provide data of sufficient quality. This means better risk management and fewer disruptions to the project schedule due to unexpected bad test results.

Why LW Finder?

Fast

Fast genetic algorithms search possible strain gauge locations and angles to find those that result in the lowest measurement error.

Prioritization

Prioritization of load cases lets users select which load cases should provide the best data.

Prediction

Prediction of the measurement error allows users to ensure the strain gauges provide the data needed, and if not, allows users to redesign or cancel the test.

Key Features

Vehicle and Heavy Equipment Application

LW Finder is utilized in vehicle and heavy equipment industries when engineers and technicians are preparing to use strain gauges to measure structural loads during a physical test.

Gauge Location Prediction

If the predicted results are acceptable, then the gauge locations are given to the technician. If the results are predicted to be unacceptable, the engineer has the option to cancel the test or modify the structure to generate larger strains.