Flextensional “moonie” actuators

Abstract

In recent years, piezoelectric and electrostrictive ceramics have been used in many actuators applications. A new type of composite actuator, which is based on the concept of a flextensional transducer, has been developed. This ceramic-metal composite actuator, or “moonie” consists of either a piezoelectric ceramic disk or a multilayer stack sandwich between two specially designed metal end caps. This new design provides a sizeable displacement, as well as a large generative force. In other words, it bridges the gap between the two most common types of actuator: the multilayer and bimorph