What Are Stacked Piezo Actuators And What Do They Do?

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A piezo element is a ceramic that expands or contracts when an electrical charge is applied, generating linear movement and force. Multiple piezo elements can be layered on top of each other, creating what is known as a stacked piezo actuator. These devices take advantage of the combined effect of each element’s expansion to produce a useful movement and force.

Applications

Piezo actuators directly convert electrical energy to mechanical energy through the piezoelectric effect, meaning they have no moving parts that generate friction or wear. Thus, their resolution is limited only by external mechanical and electrical components. They can achieve extremely fast response times and high acceleration rates, which makes them especially useful for sinusoidal operation. Stacked piezo actuators are capable of operating in environments such as vacuum, cryogenic conditions, and the presence of magnetic fields, making them suitable for applications in the consumer electronics, aerospace, automotive, and semiconductor industries.