What is a puck/shim and do I need to use it?

Question: What is a puck/shim and do I need to use it?

Answer: A puck, or shim, is an object placed between the sensing area and load (like cheese between two pieces of bread) to ensure that the sensor captures 100% of the applied load if the contacting surface is larger than the sensor diameter and to reduce high pressure for point load applications. The applied pressure should be between 1 and 10,000 psi.  If the applied force is small, e.g. 30 grams, a puck should be used to reduce the area to achieve at least 1 psi. For applied loads that are high but have a very small area, a puck should be used to reduce psi to below 10,000. For best results, the loaded area or puck should be between 70% (a diameter of 0.263”, or area of 0.077in² ) and 100% of the sensing area but can be reduced to achieve results as described above.  Plastic pucks are recommended, as they are pliable but will not deform.