Dice and Fill Composite and How to Secure Piezo Ceramics
When bulk piezoelectric ceramics don’t meet your sensitivity or resolution needs consider using dice and fill composite ceramics from APC International. Dice & fill ceramics are the industry standard for piezo composites with frequencies of greater than 1 MHz.
Dice & fill composite ceramics are manufactured by dicing a piezoelectric ceramic plate and filling the form trenches with an epoxy or polymer. The distance between the pixels or rods is minimized to avoid lateral modes or any undesirable interference.
Two applications that typically use dice & fill composites are medical ultrasound and NDT phased array transducers.
Available features of APC’s Dice & Fill Composites include:
– Frequency tolerances as tight as +/- 5%
– PZT Navy Type I, II, and VI materials
– Various epoxy and polyurethane interstitial materials
– Operational temperatures up to 130C
– Copper-tin & silver-gold electrode materials
“How to” Secure Piezoelectric Ceramics
APC helps explain the best way to secure a piezoelectric ceramic to a solid surface
To secure a piezo ceramic to a solid surface, you have three primary options: gluing, soldering, and clamping. Of the three options the best approach to secure a piezo element is typically with a glue or epoxy.
Using an epoxy or acrylate glue is the best option because it:
– Provides a strong, flexible, non-conducting bond
– Eliminates possible vibration induced fatigue during long-term operation
– Can be used at temperatures exceeding 150C.
Soldering can be ineffective over time because vibrations in the ceramic can cause the bond to fail and the high temperatures used when soldering can effect the properties of the ceramic.
The least reliable method to secure a piezo element to a solid surface is clamping due to the possibility of damaging the ceramic when securing it. Clamping can also restrict to the movement of the ceramic.
Read More On Piezo Applications
What is the Purpose of a Piezo Motor
Piezo Aiding Advancements in The Healthcare Industry
Discrete Piezo Stacks for Ultrasonic Applications
Self Charging Power Cells and Batteries
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