What is the common denominator in inkjet printers, parking sensors for cars, gas lighters and ultrasound imaging for babies? The answer: all these applications make use of piezoelectric materials. This material has something special: it has the capability to change shape – for example become shorter or wider – by applying an electric voltage over it. And piezo also works the other way around: compressing or otherwise deforming the material generates an electric charge. So the piezo material is a smart system in itself!

Despite this versatility, ‘piezo materials’ are rather unknown to the public at large. To get acquainted with these materials, the Applied Piezo Foundation requested Betase to write an English booklet on ‘the hidden use of piezo technology in applications all around us‘. This booklet focuses on applications of piezoelectric materials – from quartz wristwatches to medical equipment, and from automotive to mobile phones. Furthermore, history and future of piezo materials, the basics behind piezoelectricity and ways of manufacturing devices are dealt with.

You can find parts of this booklet about piezo in a nutshell and echoscopy as application as separate downloads in PDF format. Click here for a general impression of the booklet.

Published as:
Applied Piezo – The hidden use of piezo technology in applications all around us, ISBN 978-90-79926-03-9, November 2010, English, 60 pages. Unmodified reprinted in November 2011.

External link:
Click here for the website of the Applied Piezo Foundation, where you can order this booklet as a hardcopy.