PCB Piezotronics 603C01 Industrial ICP Accelerometer
Overview
The PCB Piezotronics 603C01 is a Platinum-series, low-cost industrial ICP® accelerometer built for permanent installation on rotating machinery. It belongs to the IMI Sensors industrial range produced by PCB Piezotronics in Depew, New York, and it is one of the most widely specified general-purpose vibration sensors for route-based and online condition monitoring of motors, pumps, fans, gearboxes and compressors. With a nominal sensitivity of 100 mV/g, a measurement range of ±50 g and a hermetically welded stainless steel housing rated IP68, the sensor is designed to survive the wet, dusty and hot conditions found on plant floors.
Seven Star LLC supplies the PCB Piezotronics 603C01 to reliability teams, maintenance contractors and OEM packagers across the Sultanate of Oman and the wider GCC. From Muscat we provide engineering support, helping customers match the sensor to their data collector, online monitoring system or PLC vibration module, and supplying the correct mounting studs, cables and connectors so that a monitoring point can be commissioned in a single visit.
Measurement Principle
Inside the PCB Piezotronics 603C01 a ceramic piezoelectric element is arranged in shear geometry. When the machine surface vibrates, a seismic mass applies a shear force to the ceramic, which generates an electrical charge proportional to acceleration. In general, shear designs are preferred for industrial sensors because they isolate the sensing element from base strain and thermal transients, which keeps the signal clean when the sensor is screwed onto a casting that heats up or flexes under load.
The charge is converted to a low-impedance voltage signal by built-in ICP® (IEPE) electronics. The sensor is powered by a constant current of 2 to 20 mA from an excitation supply of 18 to 28 VDC, and it outputs the vibration waveform superimposed on a bias voltage of 8 to 12 VDC. Because the output impedance is below 150 ohm, the signal can travel along long, inexpensive two-wire cables with very little noise pickup, which is a practical advantage on large sites such as gas compression stations and desalination plants.
Engineering Design of the PCB Piezotronics 603C01
The PCB Piezotronics 603C01 uses a stainless steel housing with a welded hermetic seal and a top-exit 2-pin MIL-C-5015 connector. The hex measures 11/16 in (18 mm), the height is 1.65 in (42.2 mm) and the weight is 1.8 oz (51 g), so the sensor fits on bearing housings where space is limited. It mounts on a 1/4-28 female thread with a recommended torque of 2 to 5 ft-lb (2.7 to 6.8 Nm), and the case is electrically isolated from the signal by more than 108 ohm, which helps prevent ground loops between the machine and the monitoring system.
The PCB Piezotronics 603C01 datasheet lists several factory options. The M version is supplied with a Model M081A61 stud (1/4-28 to M6 x 1) for metric tapped holes. The TO version adds a temperature output channel covering +2 to +121 °C at a scale factor of +10 mV/°C, using a 3-pin MIL-C-5015 connector so that vibration and bearing temperature can be trended from one mounting point. An EX version is available for hazardous areas; approvals for that option are confirmed by the factory for each order.
Key Features
Engineers choose the PCB Piezotronics 603C01 for these reasons:
- Sensitivity of 100 mV/g (±10%) matches the input scaling of most portable data collectors and online monitoring systems.
- A frequency range of 0.5 to 10,000 Hz (±3 dB) covers running speed, bearing defect frequencies and gear mesh components.
- A resonant frequency of 25 kHz keeps the usable band flat and free of mounting resonance effects.
- Broadband resolution of 350 µg allows low-amplitude faults to be seen on slow, lightly loaded machines.
- Shock overload protection to 5,000 g pk protects the element from impacts during installation and maintenance.
- Operating temperature from -54 to +121 °C suits motors and pumps in hot GCC plant rooms.
- The welded hermetic stainless steel housing carries an IP68 enclosure rating for wash-down and outdoor areas.
- Each PCB Piezotronics 603C01 ships with a Model 081A40 mounting stud and an NIST-traceable single-point calibration at 100 Hz.
Industrial Applications
A typical use of the PCB Piezotronics 603C01 is on balance-of-plant equipment in oil and gas facilities: water injection pumps, cooling water pumps, instrument air compressors, HVAC fans and conveyor drives. Mounted at the bearing housings in horizontal, vertical and axial directions, each PCB Piezotronics 603C01 feeds portable route analyzers or permanently wired monitoring cabinets, and the waveform data supports detection of imbalance, misalignment, looseness and rolling element bearing wear. In power and water plants in Sohar, Sur and Salalah, the same sensor is often installed on seawater intake pumps and booster pumps where IP68 sealing is a firm requirement.
Because the PCB Piezotronics 603C01 is a low-cost unit, it is often specified when a site wants to instrument hundreds of points rather than a handful of critical machines. Seven Star LLC supplies sensors, stud adapters and cable assemblies together for these projects, and our Muscat team can advise on mounting pad preparation, cable routing and the selection of a 4-20 mA transmitter where a PLC interface is preferred. For machines that need triaxial data, the site already lists the PCB Piezotronics 356A01 tri-axial accelerometer, and for proximity-based protection of large turbomachinery see the Bently Nevada 3300 XL 8 mm proximity transducer system.
Technical Specifications
The following data for the PCB Piezotronics 603C01 is taken from the PCB Piezotronics datasheet, revision J:
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Model | 603C01 |
| Type | Platinum low-cost industrial ICP® accelerometer |
| Sensitivity (±10%) | 100 mV/g (10.2 mV/(m/s²)) |
| Measurement range | ±50 g (±490 m/s²) |
| Frequency range (±3 dB) | 0.5 to 10,000 Hz (30 to 600,000 cpm) |
| Resonant frequency | 25 kHz |
| Broadband resolution (1 to 10,000 Hz) | 350 µg |
| Non-linearity | ±1% |
| Transverse sensitivity | ≤7% |
| Overload limit (shock) | 5,000 g pk |
| Temperature range | -54 to +121 °C (-65 to +250 °F) |
| Enclosure rating | IP68 |
| Excitation voltage | 18 to 28 VDC |
| Constant current excitation | 2 to 20 mA |
| Output impedance | below 150 ohm |
| Output bias voltage | 8 to 12 VDC |
| Settling time | ≤2.0 s (within 1% of bias) |
| Discharge time constant | ≥0.3 s |
| Sensing element / geometry | Ceramic / shear |
| Housing / sealing | Stainless steel / welded hermetic |
| Size (hex x height) | 18 mm x 42.2 mm |
| Weight | 51 g |
| Mounting thread | 1/4-28 female |
| Connector | 2-pin MIL-C-5015, top exit |
| Options | EX hazardous area, M metric mount, TO temperature output |
For bearing-level measurement of shaft vibration on critical machines, compare the Bently Nevada 330400 accelerometer.
How to Order
To order the PCB Piezotronics 603C01 or the M and TO variants, send your requirement to Seven Star LLC with the quantity, mounting thread and connector or cable needs. The PCB Piezotronics 603C01 datasheet can be downloaded from this page, and our instrumentation team in Muscat will confirm availability and lead time, prepare a formal quotation and support commissioning on sites throughout Oman and the GCC.
- Datasheet PCB Piezotronics 603C01 Datasheet (Rev. J) Download
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.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.Browse PCB Piezotronics products by category: Vibration.
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