Study of the Influence of Temperature on Low-Cost Piezoelectric Transducer Response for 3D Printing Process Monitoring

The pencil lead break method (PLB) is widely used on account of its efficiency in the characterization of acoustic emission sensors (AE), which are used in the monitoring of structures. The piezoelectric diaphragm (PZT) has been studied in recent years as an alternative to conventional AE sensors. The present work aims to study the influence of temperature on the piezoelectric diaphragm response for the monitoring of the 3D printing process. Fifteen PLB tests were performed on the glass surface of a 3D printer at three different temperatures. The results demonstrate that the frequency response of the sensor is directly influenced by the temperature variations. When comparing the frequency response of the signals obtained at different temperatures, it was possible to identify frequency bands that were not altered by the temperature variations. Thus, based on the results of this study, the 3D printing process can be monitored through the PZT diaphragm signals, along with the application of digital filters and signal processing.