Piezo-Kinetics Announces Major Powder Manufacturing Expansion

New Capacity Cuts Cost, Reduces Lead Times, and Improves Productivity for Manufacture of Piezoelectric Ceramics

Piezo-Kinetics Inc., a leading manufacturer of small and specialty piezoelectric ceramic elements and assemblies, has announced a major expansion of its powder processing and precious metal manufacturing at the Bellefonte, Pa. plant, enabling the company to significantly reduce lead times and improve productivity. Piezo-Kinetics’ 13,000 sq ft expansion for powder processing increases the facility’s total manufacturing area to 33,000 sq ft and raises powder production capacity from 2000 lb/month to 20,000 lb/month.

Piezo-Kinetics, a company of the Crest Group, manufactures piezoelectric ceramics for a broad range of applications for medical, aerospace, automotive, sonar, ultrasonic welding and cleaning, and industrial markets.

The new capacity, which is already online, enables Piezo-Kinetics to eliminate outsourcing arrangements and become vertically integrated for lead zirconium titanate and lead metaniobate, the key raw materials for the production of piezoelectric ceramics, according to Todd Baney, sales engineer for Piezo-Kinetics.

“With our broad product portfolio of piezoelectric ceramics, we are firmly positioned as a strategic supplier and this expansion signals our further commitment to key national and multinational OEMs,” said Baney. “The improved productivity and cost savings have resulted in shorter lead times that have positively impacted our customers.”

Global demand for piezoelectric ceramics in the medical field has grown dramatically over the past few years in the Americas, Europe, and the Far East., according to Baney. In addition, there is strong growth for level indicators and flow meters in the commercial marketplace along with applications in the commercial and consumer sonar industry.

Piezo-Kinetics develops, manufactures, and tests standardized piezoelectric ceramic shapes, which have numerous applications in durable goods. These represent distinct axes, polarization, capacitance, displacement, and voltage qualities.  For non-standard piezoelectric ceramic forms and shapes for advanced applications, the company can provide specialized forms.

About Piezo-Kinetics Inc.
Piezo-Kinetics Inc. (PKI), based in Bellefonte, Pa., is a leading manufacturer of piezoelectric ceramic elements and assemblies used in a wide variety of applications and industries including aerospace, biomedical, and ultrasonic. The business was started as Nittany Piezo Ceramics in 1979. In February 1996, PKI was purchased by Crest Ultrasonic, Inc. PKI received its ISO9001:2008 certification in January 2012 to further support its commitment to quality and customer service.

PKI is a small, but growing independent operation which provides custom piezoceramics cost effectively, even in small quantities. The company’s close proximity to Penn State University's main campus has allowed it to utilize their renowned R&D resources. Piezo-Kinetics has a cooperative relationship with the Penn State Materials Research Laboratory, giving it a competitive market edge. The company offers responsive, timely, and economical solutions for companies who are developing new uses for piezoelectric ceramics. For more information, visit www.piezo-kinetics.com.