Sage Technologies

Wilcoxon Industrial Accelerometers

• Rugged and Robust
• Full range of models and accessories
• Made in the U.S.A.
• ISO 9001, AS9100 Quality Certified

Only available in Pacific Northwest

Introduction

Accelerometers sense vibration commonly found in most industrial machinery. Applications for acceleration and velocity sensors include machinery health monitoring of motors, fans, pumps, gearboxes, blowers, machine tool spindles, compressors, chillers, rollers, and mixers. Maintenance professionals use accelerometers for predictive maintenance to lower overall cost and increase machinery performance.

Wilcoxon Research's extensive offering of vibration sensors includes velocity sensors for machinery health monitoring, high frequency and low frequency accelerometers for high-speed and slow-speed monitoring, high temperature sensors for extreme environments, dual output sensors which measure vibration and temperature, and triaxial accelerometers which measure vibration along three axis. Wilcoxon Research has the right vibration sensors for every machinery health monitoring application.

General Purpose

These sensors satisfy most industrial applications.  Most are the usual 100 mV/G sensitivity.  Various connector and mounting versions are offered.

 They are categorized by the following: Premium, Standard, and Economy with the main differences being price and sensitivity tolerance.

 Most Wilcoxon sensors are hermetically sealed and use a helium leak checking procedure.  This practice is uncommon in our industry due to its complexity but it ensures the best sealing and thus longer sensor life.

High Frequency

High frequency accelerometers are used on machinery with gear mesh or small bearings such as high-speed machine tool spindles and compressors. High frequency sensors are available with 100 mV/g or 10 mV/g output sensitivity. The 10 mV/g version is most commonly used due to its high amplitude range which can prevent sensor overload.

Because high frequency sensors are generally smaller and lighter weight than their general purpose counterparts, they have the advantage of less mass loading. However, the signal to noise ratio will be reduced with high frequency units because of the lower sensor sensitivity.

Low Frequency

Low frequency measurements and low levels of vibration are closely related. Acceleration levels decrease at low frequencies. In order to have adequate voltage signals at the acquisition equipment, low frequency sensors have greater output sensitivity (usually 500mV/g) than general-purpose sensors. Additionally, the low-end frequency cut-off is improved (down to 0.1 Hz @ –3dB) in order to read slow speed vibration signals.

These accelerometer’s mechanical gain yield very high signal levels within the amplifier. High frequency signals could easily excite the resonance of the accelerometer and cause the amplifier to "clip" and distort the signal. These accelerometers incorporate a low-pass electronic filter to minimize these errors.

High Temperature

The FireFET™ series is designed for continuous operation up to 302ºF (150ºC). These sensors are typically used where extra temperature protection is needed, such as the dryer section of a paper machine.

 If an installation is greater than 302ºF, a special type of accelerometer system is necessary. The 376/CC701HT system consists of three parts: sensing accelerometer (376), charge converter (CC701HT) and connecting cable. Using this arrangement, the temperature-sensitive amplifier (charge converter) is removed from the sensor and placed within a separate component outside the intense heat.

Dual Vibration & Temperature Output

These dual output sensors are useful for those situations where users wish to know the temperature of the machine where the vibration is measured such as the dryer section on a paper machine.

 The vibration portion of the sensor is powered in the same fashion as all other industrial vibration sensors.  The temperature sensor operates in a similar manner in that it must be powered through a constant-current diode and the DC bias voltage relates to the temperature. The signal changes by 10 millivolts per degree Kelvin. Since a one degree Kelvin change is the same as a one degree Celsius change, the only difference between them is in the reference temperature.

Triaxial Sensors

Meggitt manufactures a variety of Wilcoxon Research triaxial sensors which consist of three sensing elements within a single housing. These transducers allow for the acquisition of multi-directional data at a single mounting location. Proponents of multi-axial sensors cite the increase speed of data collection, its inherently consistent readings and reduction in wiring for permanent installations.

Biaxial sensors contain two sensing elements within a single housing.