Integration of Piezoceramic Tube under Prestress into a Load Carrying Structure

Smart structures consisting of a load carrying structure and smart materials with actuatory and sensory capabilities feature high potential in numerous applications. However, to master the assembly conditions of smart structures, there is a need to integrate additional design parameters such as prestress of the smart material, critical loads and electric contacting as well as insulation into the process development. This paper focusses on the design of an incremental bulk forming process to integrate piezoceramic components into an aluminum tube simultaneously to the manufacturing process. Axial forces imposed on the piezoceramic are investigated numerically and experimentally to verify the design of critical components and the process control. Within this investigation, in situ measurement of the direct piezoelectric effect provides a method to validate the numerical design with regard to failure of the piezo tube and the functional properties of the overall structure.