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Materials and manufacturing technologies
Piezoelectric sensors can be made from many different materials with complicated manufacturing processes.
The PiezoStar® Pressure Sensor Type 6125C’s structure is made of crystalline, so it does not contain silicon. In piezoelectric sensors there are usually used either Nickel (Ni) or Copper (Cu) or both. Because both of the metals are chemical elements they are nonferrous.
For piezoelectric materials are usually used ceramics, but also crystal can appear as one. The materials are also very sensitive to temperature changes. The mostly used substances are Zinc oxide, Aluminum nitride and PZT. The manufacturing process is complex and long-lasting. In PiezoStar sensors there is mainly used Kistlers own PiezoStar material. More information is available in piezoelectric sensing article about this subject.
Plastic is not used as a material in this kind of sensors because it wouldn’t cope with the massive pressure. Metal is harder and can take the pressure so it is a good material to use in this case. Ceramics and crystal are easier to get piezoelectric that’s why they are in common use.
Sources
- Pressure definition:http://www.school-for-champions.com/science/pressure.htm#.U1ilsRDFJ8E
- Archimedes' Law: http://www.auburn.edu/~nzk0001/pub/phys1600/10_archimedes.pdf
- Determining the density: http://physics.about.com/od/fluidmechanics/f/density.htm
- Preeti Jain, Pressure Sensors, http://www.engineersgarage.com/articles/pressure-sensors-types-working
- Robert E. Bicking, Fundamentals of Pressure Sensor Technology 1998, http://www.sensorsmag.com/sensors/pressure/fundamentals-pressure-sensor-technology-846
- PiezoStar® Pressure Sensor Datasheet by Kistler
- Piezoelectric Transducers and Applications, editor: Antonio Arnau Vives
- Eduardo Bartolome, Signal conditioning for piezoelectric sensors, http://www.ti.com/lit/an/slyt369/slyt369.pdf
- CONVENTIONAL CHARGE OUTPUT SENSORS, http://www.pcb.com/TechSupport/tech_signal
- Calibration services http://www.pcb.com/SensorCalibrationServices/CalibrationServices
- Accuracy and Calibration http://www.mmf.de/accuracy_and_calibration.htm
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