+1 800-828-8840
Log In
Need an Account? Start Here
Booth 201/202 | New Orleans, LA | September 21-25, 2025
PCB® and Endevco® manufacture leading-edge shock accelerometer designs that are contributing to the improved measurement of severe mechanical shock.
We also design cutting edge blast pressure sensors. Our sensors can operate in adverse environments, have the ability to drive long cables, and have high frequency response and durability to meet the demands of shock wave, blast and explosive testing.
Stop by Booth 201/202 at SAVE to speak to our experienced staff about the best sensors for your testing needs or check out one of our presentations, see details below.
Chris Sensor (Siemens) & Bob Metz (PCB Piezotronics)
This tutorial will cover the fundamental concepts of shaker shock testing, from field data acquisition to Classic Shock and Shock Response Spectrum (SRS) wavelet synthesis in a vibration controller. Shock data acquisition and analysis, classic shock pulses, SRS concepts, SRS and Pseudo Velocity Shock Spectrum (PVSS) data analysis, Fatigue Damage Spectrum, a review of Classic Shock and SRS test methods in MIL-STD-810H (including the "new" method of Te and TE), shock test tailoring and SRS wavelet synthesis for shaker SRS testing will all be discussed during the tutorial. A segment covering specialty shock sensors and instrumentation will also be presented. Topics will be reinforced with live demonstrations of data acquisition and shaker testing. Attendee interaction, questions and discussion are welcome and encouraged.
Bob Metz (PCB Piezotronics), Troy Skinner (N2L), Denis Rickman (US Army ERDC)
When researchers collect poor blast pressure data, they often conclude "it must be the gauge!" Truth be known, sensors rarely insert themselves into a blast test. Instead, they bravely go into whatever location the test engineer commands, often producing poor data or worse, experiencing an untimely death. These brave, and costly, soldiers deserve better!
Jennifer MacDonell (PCB Piezotronics)
Piezoresistive (PR) sensors are traditionally used to measure shock. Many applications involve high shocks at very short durations and the temperature sensitivity of the piezoresistors is not a major concern. However, some applications seek to measure more moderate shocks for longer durations and temperature gradients can have more influence. Applications like military vehicle testing are conducted in the field and involve temperature gradients due to blasts. It may also be desirable to have enough sensitivity combined with shock survivability to measure the motion experienced by occupants. This paper will report on a new type of accelerometer with both amplified output and temperature compensation.
James Nelson (PCB Piezotronics)
Testing is always messy – our test environments are often hotter, colder, wetter, or noisier than we anticipate. It's important to account for unexpected conditions, yet we can't control every variable. As users, the best we can do is to select equipment that performs well in key areas. And as manufacturers of test equipment, the best we can do is to design products to perform in a wide range of use cases, and be transparent about that performance. High-G shock accelerometers typically comply with the standard military temperature range of -67°F to +250°F. Special applications, such as aerospace, may require operation to cryogenic temperatures of -300°F and below. It is therefore prudent to select sensors with proven performance in that environment. This paper is an extension of last year's paper, Cryogenic Performance of High-G Damped Accelerometers, U-029. The new data includes test results on 20,000g and 60,000g range sensors, with repeated full-scale Hopkinson bar tests at -300°F, and extended temperature cycles between -300°F and room temperature. These latest results are summarized with previous testing on amplitude linearity and long-term exposure. The results demonstrate the performance at cryogenic temperatures for an Endevco high-G piezoresistive accelerometer. The shock accelerometer was not originally rated for cryogenic temperature applications, but the results show that it performs competently in this environment.