New AST4000 Pressure Sensor from American Sensor Technologies

Manufacturer of pressure sensing products, American Sensor Technologies, Inc. (AST) has unveiled the AST4000 pressure sensor, which features configurations ideal for hydraulic industry applications. The AST4000 series of sensors are embedded with an option code of three digits, which allows for any modifications required to meet electrical, mechanical, and environmental challenges in the measurement of hydraulic pressure.

The AST4000 is based on the proprietary Krystal Bond Technology of AST, where the port of the sensor is made from a single stainless steel piece. The AST4000’s unique one-piece design makes it suitable for hydraulic pressure applications. At AST, the pressure sensing element is machined from a bar of stainless steel of high strength, while other technologies fit the diaphragm through welding or clamping.

Machining reduces the stress to the diaphragm’s strain curve, resulting in repeatable results, long-term stability, and high cycle life. There are special packages available to survive the pressure transients, which are common in hydraulic applications. While the normal proof pressure capability is twice the rated pressure, AST4000 has the capacity of 4x proof pressure.

There is a welded restrictor plug integrated within the AST4000 that reduces the pressure port’s inside diameter and dampens the pressure spikes before they arrive at the diaphragm in the sensor. Commonly known as a “snubber”, the restrictor plug brings down the system’s overall cost, length, and prospective leak points. The AST4000 sensor’s pressure port threads in SAE, NPT, and metric configurations, allow for easy installation in any system or manifold.

For protection against environmental conditions, the all stainless steel housing is welded to the sensing element. The electronic sensors are completely protected from dust, moisture, and water penetration through the connector or cable configurations. This makes them ideal for installation on machinery subjected to high pressure wash down as well as outdoors.

The AST4000 series is available with several output signals. The sensors can also be packed with a 4-20mA output signal to support long transmissions. For applications that warrant low power consumption, voltage output signals are also provided. Hydraulic applications that require quick response time commonly use the 10mV/V output signal. The millivolt output signal is suitable for monitoring pressure transients as it offers a bandwidth of (3dB): DC to 5 kHz, min.