In the manufacturing operation of pressure sensors, autofrettage denotes the procedure of active ?overload? by subjecting the pressure sensor selectively once or several times to a pressure above the nominal pressure range. This process is applied, in order to achieve maximum stability, specifically of the zero point, in later operation. Assuming First Ever of the sensor, autofrettage enables many years of trouble-free operation of the sensors even at high load cycles reaching the specified overload range, without leading to zero-point shift or similar effects.
In autofrettage, certain local regions of the sensor, where during the selective overload the yield point of the sensor material is locally exceeded, become plasticised, producing a permanent change of the instrumentation characteristics. This selective effect on the structural conditions through autofrettage is an integral area of the development of the sensor and of the associated manufacturing process. Which pressure the sensor is put through and how often, must be determined individually for each sensor design through a complicated FEM simulation and extensive test series.
Caution ? no experiments of your own! However, it must not be concluded that every sensor will automatically benefit from subjecting it to autofrettage. Autofrettage can only just be utilized for ductile materials, but under no circumstances for brittle ones. Conditioning should be scheduled and carried out very selectively sufficient reason for great care during the production stages. Ill-considered ?overpressurising? of pressure sensors by laymen who like experimenting can not only damage the sensor permanently, but additionally result in dangerous preliminary damage and subsequently possibly in accidents due to fatigue and bursting of the sensor. In this manner, an improvement in instrumentation is only going to be achieved, if at all, by hit or miss.