Piezo-Module-Compounds in Metal Forming: Experimental and Numerical Studies

Abstract

The integration of piezoceramics in metal-structures offers the possibility to achieve different functionalities like active control of dynamic behaviour, health monitoring or energy harvesting in structural parts. To avoid the time-consuming additional application of piezo-modules on a formed semi-finished part, piezoceramic-modules were embedded in a double-layer-sheet. The presented method of integration allows the forming of the piezo-metal-compounds after the integration process. The use of a semi-cured adhesive offers the possibility to form the compound avoiding tensile stresses due to shear loads in the piezoceramic-module. The process limits and the level of operability of integrated piezo-ceramic-modules after forming were determined experimentally by examining different functionalities. In numerical studies using homogenization-localization theories the stresses and strains of the piezoceramic-module during different forming processes are evaluated. A homogenization of the local periodical substructure with a unit-cell-model is performed. Global loads of the piezo-module due to forming are transferred in a submodel to obtain local loads of the piezo-ceramic.