What Is a Piezoelectric Actuators?
A piezoelectric actuator is a type of actuator that converts input energy, or energy output by a computer, into physical motion to form a machine or electrical circuit.
Piezoelectric actuators utilize a piezoelectric element called a piezo to convert electrical energy into physical mechanical energy.
Since piezoelectric actuators utilize the deformation of piezoelectric ceramics, they do not generate electromagnetic noise, have extremely high precision, and have a fast response time compared to other actuators.
Since they do not require a coil to drive the actuator, they can be made compact, and their low power consumption makes them ideal for use in precision equipment such as digital cameras and mobile terminals, where miniaturization is a requirement.
Piezoelectric Actuator Applications
Piezoelectric actuators are used in a wide range of applications, from industrial products to familiar electrical appliances and precision instruments, taking advantage of their compact size, high response speed, and low power consumption.
The fields in which piezoelectric actuators are used are diverse and include the medical, precision instrument, and industrial fields.
Specific products include precision equipment such as single-lens reflex cameras, storage media such as hard disk drives, and inkjet printers, as well as medical equipment and industrial products.
Principles of Piezoelectric Actuators
Piezoelectric material is a substance with a raw piezoelectric effect and reverses voltage effect. Piezoelectric actuators utilize the reverse piezoelectric effect, a characteristic of piezoelectric material, in which force or strain is generated by applying an electric field to the crystal.
The piezoelectric ceramics used in piezoelectric actuators are designed to obtain high displacement from a small drive voltage due to this inverse piezoelectric effect, and by reducing the thickness of the ceramics, the voltage of the piezoelectric actuator can be reduced.