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What are the precautions when using piezoelectric ceramic series products?
2025-06-04
When using piezoelectric ceramic series products (such as transducers, vibration components, etc.), it is necessary to operate carefully in combination with their physical characteristics and working environment to ensure safety, stability and service life. The following is a detailed description of the key considerations:
1. electrical connection and parameter control
1. Power supply matching and voltage stability
Special driving power supply must be used: piezoelectric ceramics should be matched with a matching high-frequency power supply (such as ultrasonic generator), and the power supply frequency should be consistent with the resonance frequency of ceramic components (the error usually needs to be <5%), otherwise it may lead to sudden drop in efficiency or overheating damage of components.
Avoid overvoltage/overcurrent: the voltage fluctuation range should be controlled within ± 10% of the rated value, and the instantaneous high voltage may break down the ceramic medium or burn the electrode.
It is recommended to configure a voltage regulator or surge protector, especially in an unstable grid environment.
2. Signal control and frequency monitoring
No-load operation is prohibited: when the piezoelectric ceramic is energized for a long time without load (such as not contacting the cleaning liquid), it will cause self-heating and cracking due to the failure to release the mechanical vibration energy. It is necessary to ensure that sufficient medium has been injected before the equipment is started.
Real-time monitoring of frequency offset: After long-term use, ceramic components may cause resonance frequency drift due to aging or mechanical stress. It is necessary to regularly detect and adjust the power output frequency by frequency meter.
2. mechanical installation and structural design
1. Installation mode and stress control
Rigid fixation priority: the transducer shall be fixed on the surface of the cleaning tank (or vibrating body) by bolts, epoxy resin glue and other rigid means, avoiding the use of soft gaskets or elastic connections to prevent vibration energy loss or resonance frequency changes.
Avoid mechanical stress concentration: during installation, ensure that the contact surface is flat (roughness ≤ Ra3.2), and tighten the bolts evenly with a torque wrench to prevent the ceramic components from cracking due to excessive local stress.
For large transducer arrays, it is necessary to design a shock-absorbing structure (such as elastic support) to avoid structural fatigue caused by the overall vibration of the equipment.
2. Vibration direction and load matching
Clear vibration mode: the vibration direction of piezoelectric ceramics (such as vertical and horizontal) needs to match the application scenario. For example, ultrasonic cleaning transducers usually use longitudinal vibration to excite cavitation effects. If the direction is wrong, the cleaning efficiency will be greatly reduced.
Load quality matching: the weight of the object to be cleaned and the dynamic quality of the vibration system need to match, too heavy may reduce the amplitude, too light may be due to severe vibration damage to the workpiece (such as thin-walled parts).
3. Environment and Media Management
1. Temperature and corrosion control
Operating temperature range: most of the piezoelectric ceramic temperature limit of 60~100 ℃ (depending on the material formula), high temperature environment (such as steam cleaning) need to choose high temperature ceramic (such as the formula of adding lead tungstate), and configure the cooling system (such as water-cooled interlayer).
Corrosive medium protection: contact acid, alkali solution, need to check the transducer surface electrode coating (such as nickel, gold) integrity, coating damage may lead to electrode corrosion short circuit.
Regularly rinse the transducer surface with deionized water to remove residual crystals (such as salts) from the medium to avoid electrochemical corrosion.
2. Medium characteristics and bubble control
Liquid viscosity and density: cleaning fluid viscosity should not be too high (such as> 500mPa · s), otherwise it will inhibit the formation of cavitation bubbles; density is too large (such as heavy metal solution) may increase the vibration load, need to reduce the power appropriately.
Degassing treatment: the newly injected cleaning liquid needs to be degassed (such as standing or vacuum treatment) to avoid excessive dissolved gas leading to unstable cavitation bubbles and affecting the cleaning effect.
4. operation specification and maintenance
1. Startup and shutdown process
Preheating and progressive loading: the equipment should be started from low power (such as 30% of the rated power) gradually increased to the working power, to avoid instantaneous full power impact damage to ceramic components; before shutdown, reduce the power, and then cut off the power supply.
Frequent starting and stopping is prohibited: frequent starting and stopping (interval <5 minutes) may cause micro-cracks of ceramic components due to thermal expansion and contraction. It is recommended to wait for at least 10 minutes before restarting after each shutdown.
2. Regular inspection and maintenance
Appearance inspection: check the surface of the transducer every month to see if there are cracks, electrode shedding or ablation marks. If any abnormality is found, power off immediately for maintenance.
Insulation test: Use a megohmmeter to measure the insulation resistance of ceramic components (should be> 100MΩ). If the resistance drop may indicate internal moisture or dielectric breakdown, it is necessary to dry or replace the components.
Performance calibration: Calibrate the power supply parameters annually by testing the ultrasonic amplitude and cleaning effect with a standard test block (e. g. a metal block with a known size defect).
5. Security Protection and Special Scenarios
1. Personnel protection
Anti-sonic explosion and noise: high-frequency noise generated by ultrasonic cavitation may damage hearing (especially in enclosed spaces). Operators need to wear soundproof earmuffs (noise reduction value> 25dB) and control noise in the working environment <85dB.
Anti-liquid splash: high power cleaning may produce violent splash, need to install protective baffle or use sealed cleaning tank, avoid corrosive liquid contact with skin or equipment circuit.
2. Special application scenarios
Flammable and explosive environment: in the scene where the cleaning solvent is volatile (such as alcohol and gasoline), it is necessary to ensure that the equipment is well grounded to prevent the explosion caused by electrostatic sparks, and the explosion-proof ultrasonic generator is selected.
Vacuum environment application: If you need to use piezoelectric ceramics in the vacuum chamber, you need to test the heat dissipation performance of the component under low air pressure in advance, and you may need to design a special heat dissipation structure (such as a metal heat conduction block).
6. Common Faults and Coping Strategies
Possible causes of fault phenomenon Solution
No vibration/insufficient power supply frequency deviation, transducer falling off, electrode fracture calibration frequency, re-fixing, component replacement
Excessive abnormal heating load, insufficient cooling, excessive medium viscosity, reduced power, increased heat dissipation, replacement of cleaning fluid
Decrease of cleaning effect, amplitude attenuation, cavitation bubble reduction, component aging detection amplitude, degassing treatment, replacement of aging components
Abnormal noise or abnormal vibration Looseness of installation, deviation of resonance frequency, fracture of structural part, fastening installation, retuning and inspection of mechanical structure
Summary
The core of the correct use of piezoelectric ceramic products lies in the precise matching of electrical parameters, rational design of mechanical structure, strict control of environmental conditions and compliance with operating specifications. Through regular maintenance and preventive testing, it can effectively extend the life of the components (typical life of 5 to 10 years) and ensure the stability of the cleaning effect. For high-demand scenarios (e. g. semiconductor, medical), it is recommended to work with suppliers to develop a personalized maintenance plan, and if necessary, perform vibration modal analysis or thermal simulation optimization design.
