Joining of a PdCr resistance strain gauge to inconel 718 using an infrared process

Joining of a PdCr Strain Gage with a Hastelloy X carrier shim to Inconel by a rapid infrared processing technique has been investigated at 1150°C using a nickel based brazing alloy AMS 4777, Ni-7Cr-3Fe-3.2B-4.5Si-.06C in wt%. The effects of the infrared joining parameters on the joint and base material microstructure, joint shear strength, and delamination tendency of the PdCr gage was investigated. Results show that the joint shear strength is as high as 503 MPa when processed at approximately 1150°C for 120 seconds. Microstructural examinations of the joint with both an optical microscope and a scanning electron microscope indicate that good wetting exists between the brazing alloy with both the Hastelloy X and Inconel 718. And, the Hastelloy X and Inconel 718 exhibits no noticeable change in microstructure due to the rapid processing cycle of the infrared heating process while the stabilized PdCr wire gage shows little change in resistance. High temperature delamination studies of an infrared joined strain gage show no delamination at 800°C when flexed 1 mm in a four point bend setup.