There are multiple ways to mount ultra-low power wireless vibration and temperature sensors.
Magnet Mount
The easiest way is to use magnet mount. The magnet mount from Broadsens has an H-shape leg, which allows the sensors to be mounted on either flat or curved surfaces. The wireless vibration & temperature sensor can be mounted in less than a minute by attaching the bottom of the sensor to the top of the magnet mount, and place it on the machines or structures to be monitored. Please pay attention to touch one leg of the magnet mount to the machine, and then gently lower the other leg to the machine to avoid impact to the sensor.
Pad Mount
Alternatively, mounting pad can be used to mount the sensor in tight spaces. Broadsens offer two types of mounting pads. Mounting pad ACE-PAD-01 has integrated mounting stud and pad, ACE-PAD-02 needs to be used with a separate mounting stud.
The mounting pad (ACE-PAD-02) has a standard M8 mounting hole, which matches Broadsens’s wireless vibration sensor mounting stud perfectly. The mounting pad has a circular shape with a diameter of 30mm (1.18 inch). The height of the mounting pad is 11mm (0.43 inch), which allows the mounting stud to be screwed in to this mounting pad securely. The weight of the mounting pad is 58g (2 Oz).
The mounting pad can be installed with Broadsens’s wireless vibration sensors according to the following steps.
Step 1. Prepare the mounting surface of the structure and the mounting pad. Please wear a glove for this step. Use sand paper to scrap the bottom of the mounting pad and the structure surface. If there is a paint on the structure, then the paint needs to be removed. Use cotton pad and alcohol to clean the mounting structure and the bottom of the mounting pad.
Step 2. Bound the mounting pad to the structure with a thin layer of adhesives or epoxy. Cyanoacrylate (CA) glue is the preferred adhesive solution in most circumstances, since it is an instant adhesive and provides a more accurate high-frequency performance. Cyanoacrylate glue can be purchased online or most hardware stores. Check the settle time of the adhesives, and wait for it to be fully cured (typically in a few minutes).
Step 3. Apply thread lock such as Loctite to the mounting stud (ACE-STUD-01) thread and screw in the mounting stud to the bottom of the sensor. Use a flat-head screw driver to help tightening the stud.
Step 4. Apply Loctite to the thread of the mounting pad. Adding a thin layer of silicon grease to the base of the wireless accelerometer to fill the microscopic pits and grooves on the surface and creates better surface contact. Screw in the sensor. Important: only apply force to the metal base of the wireless vibration sensor ( do not apply force to the top plastic cover of the sensor).
After mounting the wireless vibration sensor to the mounting pad, verify that the sensor is secured to the structure before turning on the machine. Turn on the machine, take data and verify the signal is in good condition.
Note: ACE-PAD-01 mounting pad has integrated M6 mounting stud, and can be inserted to the sensor directly without using the separate mounting stud. In this case, use can simply skip step 3 and step4, and screw in the sensor directly to the mounting pad.
Stud mount
Broadsens M8 to M6 stud can be used to attach the sensor directly to a machine/structure. To use stud mount, an M8 mounting hole with a depth of 10mm needs to be drilled to the machine, then the sensor can be screwed to the stud.
Screw mount
Some models of wireless vibration & temperature sensors or wireless temperature sensors can be mounted with screws. This requires drilling a hole on the structure. Screw mount is very sturdy and can last ten years or more. Remember to apply some Loctite to the screw thread for vibration environments.
Epoxy mount
The wireless vibration & temperature sensors can be mounted with epoxy. Make sure prepare the mounting surface by following step 1 of pad mount, then use epoxy or Cyanoacrylate (CA) glue to attach the sensor to the structure. Epoxy mount can be very sturdy and last many years too. Please note that with epoxy mount, the sensor base is permanently attached to the machine. It may damage the sensor when removing the sensor.