Solution

2. Core Services

3. Know the basic knowledge about the piezoelectric ceramic before you order from us:

3.1 Piezoelectric ceramic crystals: Common shapes and sizes.

( Standard parts are available in frequencies from 200KHz to 12 MHz (about 0.17 – 10 mm thickness )

3.2 What kind of electrode pattern we can do?

3.3 How many electrode material we can offer?

Here main 4 kinds of electrode material ( Silver, copper, gold and Nickel). Silver electrode is most popular and common one. Gold electrode is most expensive and one of most good performance material.Gold, silver, copper and atoms have no magnetic moment, they are non-magnetic materials, nickel is a magnetic material, so it is not easy to weld. The best to weld are gold and silver.

3.4 How to choose the piezo material for your project?

3.5 How to make the soldering wire for the piezoelectric ceramic?

3.6 How to assemble these transducers, sensors, probes, sonar detection, etc.

• Electrode soldering: Use multi-strand soft wires to avoid performance loss; limit soldering time (≤1 sec for silver-plated surfaces, ≤3 sec for metal bases) with ≤20W soldering irons.
• Surface preparation: Polish bonding surfaces with 400+ grit sandpaper and degrease with solvents.
• Stress prevention: Design elastic gaps in encapsulation structures to prevent ceramic cracking.
• Adhesive selection: Use epoxy resin cured at 80°C for optimal strength and uniform pressure distribution.
• Alignment: Ensure precise positioning between ceramic components and substrate holes to avoid signal distortion.
• Anti-static measures: Ground workbenches and use anti-static wristbands to prevent electrostatic damage.
• Temperature control: Maintain encapsulation temperature ≤80°C to avoid thermal deformation.
• Frequency matching: Align AC voltage frequency with the ceramic’s resonant frequency for effective vibration.

4. Key Applications & Case Studies

• 4.1 Ultrasonic Underwater Detectors
  • Design: High-power transducers operating at 20–200 kHz for sonar systems and marine navigation.
  • Case Study: A submersible probe achieving 95% signal clarity at 50 m depth, integrated with FPGA-based drive electronics.
• 4.2 Medical Imaging Probes
  • Solution: Miniaturized piezoelectric arrays for high-resolution ultrasound imaging (e.g., 5–15 MHz bandwidth).
  • Outcome: Reduced probe thickness to 2 mm while maintaining >90 dB signal-to-noise ratio.
• 4.3 Industrial Sensors
  • Vibration Monitoring: Low-noise accelerometers for predictive maintenance in aerospace and automotive industries.
  • Example: A wireless sensor module with ±0.5% accuracy over -40°C to 125°C.

4. Critical Design Considerations

• Material Selection
  • Ceramic Composition: Tailoring Pb(Zr,Ti)O₃ (PZT) or lead-free alternatives (e.g., KNN-based) for specific dielectric and piezoelectric coefficients.
• 1. Traditional Lead-Based Piezoelectric Ceramics
  • Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT):
    • Composition: Titanium dioxide (TiO₂), zirconium oxide (ZrO₂), lead oxide (PbO), etc.
    • Properties: High dielectric constant (>1000), excellent piezoelectric strain coefficient (d₃₃≈500 pC/N), and elevated Curie temperature (~350°C), widely used in transducers, sensors, and ultrasonic devices.
    • Modification: Doping (e.g., La³⁺, Nb⁵⁺) enhances temperature stability or mechanical quality factor (e.g., PIC255 for high-power applications, PZT-53HD for high-sensitivity sensors).
  • Lead Magnesium Niobate-Lead Titanate (PMN-PT):
    • Composition: Niobium oxide (Nb₂O₅), magnesium oxide (MgO), lead oxide, etc.
    • Properties: Ultrahigh piezoelectric coefficient (d₃₃>2000 pC/N), ideal for precision actuators and medical imaging probes, but higher cost.
• 2. Lead-Free Piezoelectric Ceramics
  • Sodium Bismuth Titanate (NBT):
    • Composition: Bismuth titanate (Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂), sodium titanate (Na₂TiO₃), etc.
    • Properties: High Curie temperature (>300°C) and eco-friendly, though piezoelectric performance (d₃₃≈150 pC/N) requires optimization via ion doping.
  • Potassium Sodium Niobate (KNN):
    • Composition: Niobium oxide (Nb₂O₅), potassium carbonate (K₂CO₃), sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃), etc.
    • Properties: Comparable performance to PZT (d₃₃≈400 pC/N), suitable for mid-low frequency sensors and energy harvesting devices.
• 3. High-Entropy Piezoelectric Ceramics
  • Bismuth Layered High-Entropy Ceramics:
    • Composition: Multi-element oxides (e.g., Bi, Ti, Fe, Co).
    • Properties: Enhanced high-temperature stability (>400°C) and dielectric constant (εᵣ>1500) via entropy engineering, ideal for aerospace and industrial high-temperature sensing.
• 4. Composite and Novel Materials
  • Organic-Inorganic Composites:
    • Composition: PVDF polymers blended with PZT powders.
    • Properties: High flexibility (stretchable up to 300%), low density, suitable for wearable devices and flexible sensors.
  • 3D-Printed Piezoelectric Materials:
    • Composition: High-solid-content ceramic slurries (e.g., PZT or KNN-based) with photosensitive resins.
    • Properties: Customizable complex structures (e.g., gradient porosity) for tailored acoustic transducers and biomedical devices.
• Main Performances Between PZT-4 and PZT-5 Series
  • PZT-4: High coupling, high dielectric constant, high signal, strong anti-depolarization ability under mechanical force or high voltage drive, low dielectric loss. Suitable for acoustic sensors, sonar, etc.
  • PZT-5: High coupling, high dielectric constant, high sensitivity, high stability. Suitable for precision instruments such as hydrophones and etc.
  • PZT-53HD (5H): High sensitivity, poor ability to transmit signals at long distances, but good to receive signal.
  • PZT-50HD (5A): Lower sensitivity than PZT-5H, but the ability to transmit and receive signals is average.
• Environmental Regulations: EU RoHS restrictions on lead drive adoption of KNN, NBT, and other lead-free alternatives.
• Cost and Manufacturing:
  • Traditional PZT offers low cost and mature processes for mass production.
  • High-entropy ceramics and 3D-printed materials require customization due to higher costs.
• Electrode Configuration: Optimizing electrode geometry (e.g., interdigitated, sandwiched) for uniform field distribution.
• Electrical Compatibility
  • Drive Circuits: High-voltage amplifiers (0–100 V) with low noise (<1 mV) and fast response (<10 μs).
  • Capacitive Load Management: Impedance matching to prevent signal distortion in high-frequency applications.
• Environmental Robustness
  • Encapsulation: Hermetic sealing using epoxy resins or metal casings for moisture and corrosion resistance.
  • Thermal Stability: Coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) matching between ceramic and substrate materials.

5. Delivery Standards

• 5.1 Documentation
  • Technical Specifications: Detailed data sheet covering frequency response, capacitance, and mechanical tolerances.
  • Test Reports: Calibration certificates and environmental test summaries.
• 5.2 Scalability
  • Low-Volume Prototypes: 1–100 units with lead times of 30-35 days.
  • Mass Production: Automated pressing and multilayer sintering for batches >10,000 units/month.
• 5.3 Post-Sales Support
  • Warranty: 12–24 months coverage for material and manufacturing defects.
  • Redesign Services: Free adjustments for performance optimization within 6 months.

6. Why Partner With Us?

• Have 20+ years of experience engineers service for you
• Good production machines produced a good product
• Top 10 leading piezo ceramic suppliers in China
• Fast delivery for samples/small orders: 7-10 working days
• Offer 100% testing report for every piece based on ISO9001 Quality system
• Tiny tolerance requests: Fr 2%~5%
• More than one hundred piezo materials for your optional
• Offer free samples for your reference if we have them in stock
• Piezoceramic shapes and tolerance range for your optional

6.1. How to order it from us?

7. Additional Case Studies in Piezoelectric Ceramic Applications

• 7.1 Pressure Monitoring in Automotive Systems
  • Design: Miniaturized pressure sensors using PZT-based ceramics to monitor fuel injection and tire pressure in real time. These sensors operate at frequencies up to 50 kHz and withstand vibrations up to 20 G.
  • Outcome: A wireless tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) achieving ±0.2% accuracy in extreme temperatures (-40°C to 150°C), reducing tire wear by 18%.
• 7.2 Energy Harvesting for IoT Devices
  • Solution: Flexible KNN-based piezoelectric patches integrated into wearable devices to convert body motion into electrical energy. The design optimizes charge output (up to 10 μW/cm²) for low-power IoT sensors.
  • Case Study: A self-powered fitness tracker harvesting energy from wrist movements, eliminating battery replacement needs for 6+ months.
• 7.3 Aerospace Actuation Systems
  • Design: Multilayer stack actuators for satellite deployment mechanisms, delivering 50 μm displacement at 100 V with <1 ms response time. The design incorporates CTE-matched alumina substrates for thermal stability.
  • Outcome: A Mars rover’s solar panel deployment system using these actuators achieved 100% reliability in vacuum and -80°C conditions.
• 7.4 Acoustic Tweezers for Biomedical Sorting
  • Innovation: High-frequency (1–5 MHz) piezoelectric arrays generating ultrasonic standing waves to manipulate cells or nanoparticles without physical contact.
  • Example: A lab-on-a-chip device separating cancer cells from blood samples with 99.7% purity, reducing processing time from hours to minutes.
• 7.5 D-Printed Flexible Piezo composites
  • Technology: DIW (Direct Ink Writing) 3D printing of polymer-ceramic composites for stretchable strain sensors. The material retains 90% piezoelectric performance even when stretched to 300% of its original length.
  • Application: A robotic gripper sensor detecting forces as low as 0.1 N, enabling delicate object handling in automated assembly lines.

Key Advantages Across Case Studies

More tips you may know

Requirement Analysis

Define operational parameters (e.g., temperature range, dynamic load, output targets). Select materials (PZT vs. lead-free) and fabrication methods (traditional sintering vs. 3D printing).

Prototyping & Testing

Validate designs via FEA simulations and accelerated life testing (e.g., 1,000+ thermal cycles).