Product

Macro Fiber Composite™ (MFC) Custom Design

In addition to manufacturing Macro Fiber Composites in a variety of standard sizes, we also offer numerous specialized MFC layouts.

Specialty Macro Fiber Composites™ (MFCs) and Custom Designs

Specialty Macro Fiber Composites™ (MFCs) have more complex designs, including arrays of single MFCs. They also allow electronic components to be integrated with the MFC.

Examples of custom MFCs are the Star MFC array for pumps and synthetic jets, the S1 and S2 types (which consist of sensor and actuator elements for closed-loop control), triangle-shaped MFCs for strain adaptation, and several other MFC arrays. In addition, we offer MFCs integrated on various substrates, such as cantilever-type devices where the MFC is integrated with an FR4 PCB material.

A growing percentage of the MFCs manufactured by Smart Material are custom designs. Typically, the feasibility of customer specific applications is first tested with the various standard MFC sizes, including rapid prototyping. After the initial feasibility and prototyping phase, many of our customers usually decide to make an application-specific custom design of the MFC.

Some of the more common reasons for ordering a custom designed MFC are:

to meet the exact mechanical dimensions as well as strain and blocking force requirements
to combine several standard MFCs into one single array to reduce cost
to integrate electronic components, such as rectifiers for multi-MFC harvesters
to incorporate specific power leads and connectors (to avoid standard cable connections)

Smart_Materials_0091_01_BaldaufundBaldauf — Cantilevers for Piezo Electric Harvester (PEH) applications

Product Description and Specifications

MFC Custom Design Overview

Our custom design services have a typical lead time of 5 to 6 weeks.

Custom MFC size (max.)	400mm by 530mm, 15.7 inches by 20 inches
MFC types	P1, F1, P2, P3
Lead time (avg.)	5 weeks for < 25 units 6 weeks for > 25 units
Outer shell materials	polyimide (capton), polyester
Thickness (avg.)	300µm, 12mil
NRE charges	depending on requested lead time and minimum quantities

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+49 351 4977 145

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Additional Macro Fiber Composite™ types

See more available Macro Fiber Composite™ products  manufactured by Smart Material.

MFC P1 type,
d₃₃ operational mode – Elongator

P1 type MFCs, including the F1 and S1 types, utilize the d33 effect for actuation. They will elongate up to 1800ppm when operated at the maximum voltage rate of -500V to +1500V. P1 type MFCs are also very sensitive strain sensors.

MFC P2 and P3 type
d₃₁ operational mode – Contractor

P2 and P3 MFCs use d₃₁ effect for actuation and contract up to 750ppm when operated at the maximum voltage rate of -60V to +360V. Both P2 and P3 MFCs are most commonly used for energy harvesting (PEH) and as strain sensors.