See inside the problem
Sensors and actuators are transducers that respond to physical stimuli and transmit the impulses to another medium for measurement. The active element in most acoustic transducers is a piezoelectric ceramic, which is cut in various ways to produce different wave modes. In the early 1950s, the element was made from quartz crystals and magnetostrictive materials. It was referred to as “the crystal,” a term that lost meaning until recently, when materials science finally began producing a single crystal piezoelectric with exceptional properties that can be used for this purpose. But piezoelectric ceramics are still the material of choice for their excellent electromechanical properties, low voltage, and high-temperature operation. In addition, they are easy to manufacture in a variety of shapes and sizes. The first piezoceramic in general use, made of barium titanate, was superseded in the 1960s by one made of lead zirconate titanate (PZT). Newer materials, such as piezo polymers, single crystals, and composites, are reserved for niche applications.

PZFlex provides accurate and quantitatively meaningful results for the increasing numbers of sensors and actuators for which piezoceramic and piezoresistive materials are the active component. Acoustic beam patterns, impedance characteristics, and thermal properties are obtainable from its fast and efficient electromechanical solvers, designed to handle this particular class of modeling problem. Applications range from piezoelectric stacks used by astronomers in deformable mirrors to needle hydrophones used in acoustic calibration. It is not unusual for the investment cost in PZFlex to be recouped within a single design cycle, making it a highly cost-effective tool for developing new designs or retrofitting previous designs. And with retrofits, a replacement product line is seldom necessary.