22/08-08   -   Press releases

Reduce operating voltage significantly

Multilayer piezos allow a drastic reduction of the operating voltage keeping the same performance as piezo monolayer/ bulk components. Thereby, reduction of the electrical security requirement when operating with e.g. dental devices.

Piezos in dental devices
Ultrasonic transducers work by rapidly changing size when excited by an electrical signal. This creates a compression wave in the liquid of the tank. These compression waves actually ‘tear’ the liquid apart, leaving behind a ‘void’ or ‘partial vacuum bubble’.

When these ‘bubbles’ (and there are many millions of them in an active ultrasonic tank) collapse, they collapse with enormous energy. When sufficient energy is built up in the ‘bubble’ or cavitation, the cavitation collapses violently.

Such ultrasonic transducers are usually composed of piezo monolayer/ bulk rings which are bolted to a coupling horn. However, the piezo monolayer/ bulk rings can be replaced by piezo multilayer rings which will allow a drastic reduction of the operating voltage keeping the same performance and as such reduce the electrical security requirement when operating in the human body.

Multilayer technology
A multilayer component is composed of several layers of piezoelectric material, alternating with internal electrodes.

Internal electrodes are successively positive and negative. All positive electrodes are connected together by one external electrode on one side of the component; negative electrodes are connected on the other side of the component.