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  • Author Author: Catinca - TDK
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Silver price hikes! Don’t worry, TDK has the answer

Catinca - TDK

When Material Costs Spike, Engineering Decisions Matter.  Silver prices have surged and with them, the cost and risk profile of conventional piezo designs. But what if the solution isn’t about managing volatility… but eliminating dependency altogether?
At TDK, we’re taking a different route:
Small blue diamondReplacing silver with copper
Small blue diamondStabilizing cost structures
Small blue diamondIncreasing reliability in humid environments
Our copper-based HAS technology doesn’t just respond to market pressure, it redefines the baseline for performance, durability, and scalability across applications like nano-positioning in semiconductor manufacturing, in medical drug delivery, and in AI infrastructure.
The real question isn’t how to cope with rising silver prices. It’s how to design beyond them.

Check this article for details: Silver price hikes! Don’t worry, TDK has the answer | TDK Electronics - TDK Europe

Read about our Piezo Solutions: Piezo Solutions | TDK Electronics - TDK Europe

Buy now from Farnell: piezo Acoustic Components | Farnell® UK

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  • in reply to manojroy123

    Dear manojroy123,

    This is a very forward-thinking suggestion. While Copper-Graphene composites are exciting for high-power cables, applying them to Multilayer Piezo Actuators presents unique challenges.

    Piezo actuators are dynamic components - they physically expand and contract millions of times. A major challenge with adding graphene is adhesion; graphene’s natural lubricity could weaken the bond between the electrode and the ceramic, leading to delamination over time. Furthermore, our HAS technology relies on a precise co-firing process; maintaining the integrity of graphene at the high temperatures required to sinter piezo-ceramics is technically difficult.

    Currently, pure copper provides the perfect balance of high conductivity, excellent adhesion, and cost stability. While we monitor all advanced material trends, our focus remains on the structural robustness that allows our copper-based actuators to reach over 100 million cycles in extreme humidity.

    Thank you for your question.