coach tom
12-28-2000, 10:35 AM
Head unveiled a new racquet series this fall, the Head Intelligence series. They use piezo-electric ceramics to dampen vibration, and in the Si.18 they use an additional electronic circuit to transfer the energy back and stiffen the racquet on impact. I have my undergraduate degree in Ceramic Engineering, so I can tell you that this is truly on the cutting edge.
Piezo electrics, as they are known, are ceramic materials that convert mechanical or motional energy to electric energy. They also do the reverse and convert electric energy into a physical or mechanical response. Most of the new Head series have only the piezo electric material in them, and how it works is as the ball hits the very stiff graphite racquet, everyone knows that it vibrates like a tuning fork. That vibration travels through the piezo material, and a large percentage of the vibration is converted to an electrical signal, thereby immediately dissipating a large percentage of the vibration (physics, matter can neither be created or destroyed, so energy cannot either, its just converted.) Piezo electrics are already currently used in many commercial and industrial applications to do just that. You will find some of them on buildings and bridges, for vibration dampening. In the Si.18, and amplifying circuit board takes the vibration generated electrical signal, amplifies it, and sends the electric back to a special piezo assembly and causes the piezo ceramics to stiffen. All this happens in nano and microseconds, so what you have is the vibration dampening and stiffening of the racquet instantly. What that means is a much more powerful racquet, and quite possibly a more controlled shot.
Cool tech, huh?
Piezo electrics, as they are known, are ceramic materials that convert mechanical or motional energy to electric energy. They also do the reverse and convert electric energy into a physical or mechanical response. Most of the new Head series have only the piezo electric material in them, and how it works is as the ball hits the very stiff graphite racquet, everyone knows that it vibrates like a tuning fork. That vibration travels through the piezo material, and a large percentage of the vibration is converted to an electrical signal, thereby immediately dissipating a large percentage of the vibration (physics, matter can neither be created or destroyed, so energy cannot either, its just converted.) Piezo electrics are already currently used in many commercial and industrial applications to do just that. You will find some of them on buildings and bridges, for vibration dampening. In the Si.18, and amplifying circuit board takes the vibration generated electrical signal, amplifies it, and sends the electric back to a special piezo assembly and causes the piezo ceramics to stiffen. All this happens in nano and microseconds, so what you have is the vibration dampening and stiffening of the racquet instantly. What that means is a much more powerful racquet, and quite possibly a more controlled shot.
Cool tech, huh?