Method for manufacturing a sensorized braking element, in particular a brake pad and a sensorized brake pad obtained thereby

A sensorized brake element comprising:

• a supporting metal element, a damping and a thermally insulating layer arranged on the supporting metal element on the side of a first surface of the supporting metal element intended in use to face an element to be braked, including a disk or a drum of a vehicle, and a friction material block integrally supported by the supporting metal element on the side of the first surface and above the damping and thermally insulating layer;
• at least one piezoceramic sensor below the damping and electrically insulating layer and fixed directly over the first surface of the supporting metal element, the at least one piezoceramic sensor designed to emit an electric signal when subjected to a mechanical stress wherein the at least one piezoceramic sensor is made from a piezoceramic material having a Curie temperature that is higher than 200° C.;
• and
• an electric circuit configured to capture the electric signal and process the captured signal, wherein the electric circuit is made as an electrically insulated unit including at least one branching ending with respective electric contacts for the at least one piezoceramic sensor;
• the at least one piezoceramic sensor being electrically and mechanically connected to the electric contacts arranged at the end of the at least one branching;
• wherein the electric circuit and the at least one piezoceramic sensor are mechanically and integrally fixed to the first surface and said branching being made so as to position the at least one piezoceramic sensor at a predetermined point of the first surface in such a manner that the least one piezoceramic sensor is directly and completely embedded within the friction material block arranged onto and supported by the first surface with the interposition of the damping and thermally insulating layer;
• and
• wherein the at least one piezoceramic sensor has an operating temperature equal to or higher than 200° C., and the at least one piezoceramic sensor self-generates the electric signal in response to the mechanical stress without the need of electric power.