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| Mechanical Engineering Home > Labs and Centers:Sensor Laboratory Sensor Laboratory |
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The Sensor Laboratory is dedicated to the development of microsensors and signal-processing strategies to enhance the understanding of phenomena and mechanisms contributing to unit-manufacturing processes. Compression die-forming of materials provides an example of such need. Frictional effects generating shear stress fields at the micro level in die operations are not well understood. This interface description requires refinement to permit the engineer to design quality metal forming processes. Other than the classical stress fields described by Hertz' contact stress theory, little new information on contact stresses has been developed; empirical studies to validate refined theories lack micro sensors for monitoring metal physical response. The laboratory's philosophy is to approach a sensing need prospectively: defining first the sensing need, and, thereafter, selecting or designing and fabricating a sensor sufficient to the task. This approach identifies the deficiencies of present sensing technologies and provides fertile ground for new refinements in the field. In the design of microsensors which can reside near the site of activity and be sufficiently small to minimize their influence back on the activity, signal transmission from the sensing site also becomes an important research endeavor. Thin-film sensors dominate the laboratory's present activities. Photolithography and sputtering technologies are addressing not only micro-miniaturized sensors, but also strategies whereby sensors can be fabricated for disposability. One of the laboratory's significant contributions is the development of a sputtered sensor for metal-cutting monitoring. The sensor is fabricated to the cutter near the cutting site, and the rich signals gained there are interpreted for cutting quality and tool deterioration. The sensor has progressed to factory floor trials to assert its quality. The sensor laboratory contains sputtering systems for thin-film deposition, a Sol-Gel deposition system, a photolithography system, optical and scanning electron microscopes, and x-ray diffraction equipment and has microbonding capability for lead attachment. |
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