ABSTRACT
The design of transducers for high-intensity use often involves combining segments of transmission lines that are composed of different materials; therefore, the same equations used in the design of ultrasonic horns, or mechanical amplifiers, are useful in designing transducers and other types of transmission lines. The Langevin-sandwich type of transducer consists of piezoelectric elements sandwiched between two masses so that the fundamental resonance frequency is lower than the resonance frequency of any of the elements taken separately. Common practice in designing horns for developing high sound intensities calls for sufficient filleting at the junction to prevent fatigue failure. The chapter explores design formulas for the solid horns, which are most commonly used in the production of high-intensity ultrasonic energy used for materials forming, sonochemistry, certain processing, and medical applications. In materials-forming applications, such as ultrasonic drilling or welding, usually a tool is silver-soldered to a horn.
