Brand: PCB Piezotronics

PCB Piezotronics 086C03 ICP Impact Hammer Kit for Modal Testing

Name: PCB 086C03 Modally Tuned ICP Impact Hammer – Manual & Quote
Brand: PCB Piezotronics
SKU: 086C03

Description

An instrumented hammer for structural and modal testing

The PCB Piezotronics 086C03 is a Modally Tuned ICP impact hammer with a built-in quartz force sensor. Struck against a structure, machine foundation or casing, it measures the force input in a frequency response test so that natural frequencies and mode shapes can be found with the response of an accelerometer.

The sensitivity is 10 mV/lbf (2.25 mV/N) over a +/-500 lbf (2,224 N) peak range with a resonant frequency of 22 kHz or more. The hammer is supplied with an extender mass and several tips, so the user can change the mass and the frequency content of the impact to suit the test object.

Technical specifications

Parameter	Specification
Sensitivity (+/-15 %)	10 mV/lbf (2.25 mV/N)
Measurement range	+/-500 lbf pk (+/-2,224 N pk)
Resonant frequency	22 kHz or more
Non-linearity	1 % or less
Excitation voltage / constant current	20 to 30 VDC / 2 to 20 mA
Output impedance / bias voltage	Below 100 ohm / 8 to 14 VDC
Discharge time constant	2,000 s or more
Sensing element / sealing	Quartz / epoxy
Hammer mass	0.34 lb (0.16 kg)
Head diameter / tip diameter	0.62 in (1.57 cm) / 0.25 in (0.63 cm)
Hammer length	8.5 in (21.6 cm)
Extender mass weight	2.6 oz (75 g)
Connector / position	BNC jack / bottom of handle
Supplied accessories	081B05 mounting studs (2), 084A08 steel extender 0.6 in, 084B03 hard (stainless steel) tip, 084B04 medium (white plastic) tip, 084C05 soft (black) tips (2), 084C11 supersoft (red) tips (2), 085A10 vinyl covers (blue) for medium tip (2), HCS-2 calibration

Tips, test method and calibration

A harder tip excites a wider frequency range, while softer tips concentrate the energy at lower frequencies and avoid exciting resonances above the range of interest. The steel extender adds mass for a bigger impulse on heavy structures. The manual shows force spectrum curves for each tip for the 086C02, C03, C04 and C40 family and explains how to choose hammer size and mass.

TEDS versions (T and TLD) are listed on the spec sheet for IEEE 1451.4 electronic data sheets. The hammer ships with a calibration under HCS-2 for Series 086 instrumented impact hammers and the manual describes the integral laser-welded quartz sensor, the threaded striking end for tips and the replaceable ribbon cable.

A typical test fixes an accelerometer at one location of interest and strikes the structure with the hammer, or keeps the hammer point fixed and moves the response sensor. According to the manual the impact spectrum depends on hammer size, length, material, tip and impact velocity, and force spectra for each tip on a stiff steel mass are shown for the 086C02, C03, C04 and C40 family. PCB offers hammers from mini impulse types up to a 12 lb sledgehammer, so the 0.34 lb 086C03 suits mid-size structures such as brackets, casings and panels.

What to confirm before ordering

The 086C03 is a test tool, not a plant-installed sensor. Send your test structure size, the frequency range, whether TEDS is needed and which analyser input will be used. A matching response sensor is the PCB Piezotronics 352C33.

Documents and quotation

The PCB installation and operating manual for the 086C03 is attached; the spec sheet is rev L. Seven Star LLC is an independent supplier in Muscat. See Portable Test & Measurement.

Datasheets & Documents

Manual PCB Piezotronics 086C03 Installation and Operating Manual Download

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About brand

PCB Piezotronics is the American maker of sensors for dynamic measurement: accelerometers, pressure, force and strain sensors, microphones and industrial vibration monitoring. The brothers Robert (Bob) and James Lally founded the company in August 1967 near Buffalo, New York; they are credited with ICP technology, which puts the amplifier inside the piezoelectric sensor. PCB is headquartered in Depew, New York, was acquired by MTS Systems in 2016, and has been part of Amphenol since Amphenol bought MTS in 2021.

Seven Star LLC sources and supplies PCB Piezotronics accelerometers and acoustic sensors for customers in Oman, including the models described below.

PCB Piezotronics company profile

Founded	August 1967, near Buffalo, New York, USA
Founders	Robert W. Lally (earlier a co-founder of Kistler Instrument Co. in 1955) and James Lally
Known for	ICP integrated circuit piezoelectric sensors
Headquarters	Depew, New York, USA
Ownership	MTS Systems from July 2016; Amphenol (NYSE: APH) since 2021
Product families	ICP and charge accelerometers, dynamic pressure and force sensors, measurement microphones, 4–20 mA vibration transmitters, reciprocating machinery protectors, Endevco sensors

Milestones

1967: Bob and Jim Lally found PCB Piezotronics in August.
2016: MTS Systems acquires PCB in July.
2019: Endevco becomes a PCB Piezotronics company.
2021: Amphenol acquires MTS, and PCB becomes part of Amphenol.

PCB sensors listed here

Model 356A01 is a miniature triaxial ICP accelerometer with a ceramic shear element and titanium housing. PCB gives it a nominal sensitivity of 5 mV/g, a range of 1000 g peak and a weight of about one gram; it is adhesive mounted and has an integral four-conductor cable. Model 378B02 is a 1/2-inch prepolarized free-field microphone supplied with a mated ICP preamplifier and TEDS, at 50 mV/Pa.

PCB Piezotronics products we list

Family	Examples
Vibration Monitoring	208C02 ICP Force Sensor 100 lb, 352C03 General Purpose ICP Accelerometer, 352C33 General Purpose ICP Accelerometer, 356A01 Tri-Axial Accelerometer, 378B02HT Acoustic Sensor, 603C01 Industrial ICP Accelerometer, 607A11 Swiveler Industrial ICP Accelerometer, 608A11 Industrial ICP Accelerometer 100 mV/g and 6 more
Pressure Instrumentation	113B28 High Frequency ICP Pressure Sensor

Ordering PCB sensors: what we need

Send the exact model number, including any prefix letters. PCB puts option codes in front of the base model, so a high-temperature or metric version carries a different prefix. Add the cable length and connector, and the signal conditioner or analyzer input you are using. For GCC test laboratories we can request the manufacturer's calibration certificate with the sensor.

Facts checked against PCB Piezotronics' published company history, October 2026.

Browse PCB Piezotronics products by category: Vibration.