Noliac recently introduced the fuse piezoelectric actuator stacks with a significantly higher reliability than conventional piezo actuator stacks. The technology is designed to maintain functionality even when a section of the actuator is damaged, consequently preventing so-called catastrophic failures.
Cedric Goueffon, Global Sales Manager at Noliac, explains: “When a production line stops unexpectedly due to a malfunction, the repairs can be time consuming and therefore quite expensive, since there is no time to plan an alternative production. In industries such as space, aerospace and transportation in general, an unscheduled stop due to a breakdown is both unsafe and expensive. Thanks to the fuse technology, the functionality of the application declines gradually instead of stopping suddenly. This allows for a scheduled stop, which is by far the most cost-efficient way to maintain the application. The technology is available on stacks of a large cross-section and is relevant for plate and ring actuator stacks above a certain height, where the loss of one element is not critical. We see a great potential for this new technology, and we are looking forward to discussing piezo-based applications with this feature.”