PI Ceramic, a global leader in piezoelectric materials, piezo actuators, and transducers, has expanded its portfolio of high-quality piezoceramic components for ultrasonic transducer applications. The new offering includes a broad range of piezo materials, geometries, composite structures, and lead-free alternatives designed to support demanding medical, industrial, microscopy, sonar, hydrophone, and power ultrasound applications.
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In addition to standard COTS components, PI develops custom piezoceramic materials and components for OEM customers, with material properties, geometry, electrode configuration, and assembly tailored to the requirements of the application.
Piezo Materials for Ultrasonic Transducers
The performance of an ultrasonic transducer depends strongly on the properties of the piezoelectric material. PI provides solutions based on bulk piezoceramics, multilayer technology, and flexible piezo composites. Material selection can be optimized for parameters such as operating frequency, coupling efficiency, sensitivity, power handling, mechanical flexibility, and environmental requirements.
Composite Piezo Materials
Piezo composites provide additional design freedom by combining piezoceramic material with a polymer matrix. PI manufactures composite structures in ceramic rows using 2-2 arrangements as well as individual piezo pins in 1-3 arrangements. These materials can provide favorable acoustic properties and can also be adapted to curved or complex transducer geometries.
PI Ceramic can apply full-surface electrodes or insulated individual electrodes using thin-film technology, supporting customized electrical contacting and array configurations.
Lead-Free Piezoceramic Materials
PI Ceramic is also advancing lead-free piezoelectric materials based on bismuth sodium titanate (BNT). These materials are especially suitable for ultrasonic transducers operating in the MHz range and can also be used in sonar and hydrophone applications. Continued materials research is focused on improving the performance of lead-free alternatives while meeting application-specific requirements.
Broad Range of Piezo Component Geometries
Available component shapes include piezo disks, rods, cylinders, plates, rings, tubes, spheres, bending elements, miniaturized components, and flexible composites. These can be produced using bulk, multilayer, or composite technologies depending on the required performance and form factor.
Ultrasonic Transducer Applications
Piezoelectric ultrasound transducers are used in medical sensing and therapy, including high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), as well as microscopy, industrial sensing, power ultrasound, sonar, and hydrophone systems. Langevin transducers are one example of power ultrasound technology that relies on piezoceramic elements to convert electrical energy into high-power mechanical vibration.
Material Development and Customized Designs
The PI Ceramic engineering team supports customers in selecting piezo materials, developing component geometries, and optimizing piezoceramic properties for specific ultrasonic transducer designs. Continuous development of piezoceramic formulations, composite structures, and lead-free materials enables solutions tailored to frequency range, sensitivity, power level, mechanical design, and manufacturing requirements.
Customized Connectivity and Value-Added Assemblies
PI also provides value-added manufacturing services including flexible printed circuit boards, customized soldering and contacting, bonding to substrates, and assembly of ultrasonic transducers with acoustically matched coatings and housings.
More information on PI Ultrasonic Transducer Components
Industrial Served
Medical Technology, Microscopy, Industrial Sensing, Power Ultrasound, Sonar, Hydrophones, and Oil and Gas.