PowerUltrasonics ::: consultancy :: sonotrode design :: analysis software

(Link updated March 2008)

John Perkins has vast experience in power ultrasonics. Here he starts with the basics, covering the design and construction of piezo sandwich transducers and sonotrodes, before giving a detailed description of sonochemistry principles - cavitation, energy-density, monitoring power and amplitude.

(Now updated with a new link to NASA Telerobotics Program Plan, since the old page has been removed.)

An interesting page about research at MIT to develop a high torque-density solid-state actuator for use in the NASA/JPL Mars Micro Lander manipulator arm. It includes a general explanation of the principles of ultrasonic motors, and some cool animations! Note the use of dynamic and time-averaged ESPI (electronic speckle pattern interferometry) to evaluate the vibration modes.

(Link updated March 2008)

Canon's brief description of their development of ultrasonic motors for use in camera auto-focus lenses. Their explanation of the arrangement of piezoelectric elements is particularly good. There are two sets of elements, offset by a quarter-wavelength, each generating a standing wave. Superimposing the offset standing waves creates a traveling wave that drives the rotor.

(Link updated March 2008)

The AEA Technology Sonocrystallizer (TM) is a new reactor which produces better crystals for the pharmaceutical and bio-tech industries. For more details see the July 2000 newsletter.

(Link updated Jan 2007)

The subject of metal welding seems to attract high-quality articles from equipment suppliers. While not as comprehensive as Stapla's book, this article from AmTech gives a good introduction to the theory and practice of welding metals, aimed particularly at wire-joining applications.