Accelerometer Designs

Metra employs the following three mechanical construction designs:

• Shear system ("KS" types)

• Compression system ("KD" types)

• Bending or flexure system ("KB" types)

The reason for using different piezoelectric systems is their individual suitability for various measurement tasks and their varying sensitivity to environmental influences. The following table shows advantages and drawbacks of the 3 designs:

Shear design is applied in the major part of modern accelerometers due to its better performance. Compression and bending type sensors are still used in many applications, however.

The main components of the 3 accelerometer designs are shown in the following illustrations:

Shear System:

Compression System:

Bending System: