Full-Scale Reading (FSR)

Percent of full scale means the error value is expressed as a percentage of the instrument's maximum rated capacity — not as a percentage of the current reading. A ±1% FSR error on a 10,000 lb dynamometer equals a fixed ±100 lb error across the entire range. At a 1,000 lb load, that fixed ±100 lb error represents a ±10% uncertainty of the actual reading — far larger than the stated 1% figure suggests.

Full-scale reading errors explain this. Accuracy specifications are calculated as a percentage of full-scale capacity, not the current reading. An instrument that is accurate at high loads still carries the same fixed error value at low loads — and at low loads that fixed error is a much larger percentage of the actual force. The solution is to select an instrument whose capacity is appropriate for the actual load, not an oversized unit used at a small fraction of its range. Contact Dynamic Measurement Systems at 281-405-0606 for capacity selection guidance.

Select a dynamometer whose rated capacity is 1.25 to 2 times the expected maximum force. This ensures the instrument operates in the upper portion of its measurement range where FSR errors are smallest relative to the reading. Dynamic Measurement Systems stocks instruments across a wide capacity range and can match the right model to your application — call 281-405-0606.