PI Ceramic

What PI Ceramic does

PI Ceramic GmbH, founded in 1992 and headquartered in Lederhose, Thuringia, Germany, is a specialty manufacturer of piezoceramic components, multilayer piezo actuators, and ultrasonic transducers. The company operates as the global competence center for piezo technology within the PI Group (Physik Instrumente) and serves OEM customers in medical technology, semiconductor manufacturing, industrial ultrasonics, precision dosing, and optics/photonics. Its technology platform rests on proprietary tape casting processes and multilayer co-firing techniques that enable all-ceramic-insulated actuators (PICMA® brand) operating at low voltages (as low as -20 to 100V), with UHV compatibility to 10⁻⁹ hPa and operating temperatures from -40 to 150°C.

The product portfolio is organized as a platform-plus-modules architecture: piezoceramic raw elements (discs, tubes, plates, rings, spheres, bending elements, composites) feed into three actuator families — PICMA® multilayer actuators (linear, bender, chip), PICA stack and shear actuators for high-voltage applications, and DuraAct patch transducers for surface integration — supplemented by piezo controllers/drivers, ultrasonic transducers, and a Tech Center for custom sample development. PI Ceramic also offers miniaturized components down to 0.45mm external diameter, thin PZT plates ≥50µm, and arrays via dice-and-fill technology. Notable recent technical milestones include a 2025 breakthrough in lead-free piezoceramic manufacturing and a 2025 product launch of polymer-free PICMA® Stack actuators with significantly shortened lead times.

The business model is hardware sales of custom and catalog piezoceramic components, with pricing on a quote basis and no public price list. Go-to-market is sales-led enterprise field sales, with Global Account Management, field/technical sales engineers, project management, and post-sales technical support. Distribution is global through direct sales, PI Group subsidiaries (USA, China), and regional distributors. Recent investment includes a €10 million expansion of the Lederhose site (7,500 m², 250 new jobs planned) and €13 million invested by PI Group in the Karlsruhe headquarters. The company is ISO 9001 certified, repeatedly recognized by IHK as a best training company (since 2012), and benefits from PI Group's portfolio of over 200 patents.

Name

PI Ceramic

Legal name

PI Ceramic GmbH

Website

https://piceramic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PI Ceramic GmbH is a German manufacturer of piezoceramic components, multilayer piezo actuators, and ultrasonic transducers serving OEM customers in medical technology, semiconductor manufacturing, industrial ultrasonics, and precision positioning, operating as the piezo competence center of the PI Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lederhose

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Piezoceramic Component Sales: Manufacture and sale of piezoceramic components in various shapes including discs, cylinders, plates, blocks, rods, rings, tubes, spheres, hemispheres, bending elements, and composites. Both standard products and custom configurations available.
2. Piezo Actuator Sales: Sale of PICMA® multilayer linear actuators, PICMA® piezo bender actuators, PICA stack actuators, PICA shear actuators, DuraAct patch transducers, and Picoactuator® piezoelectric crystals.
3. Customized Assemblies: Manufacturing of customized assemblies for sensor and actuator technology applications including actuator modules and stack actuators as high-voltage assemblies, either as standard products or with customer-specific modifications.
4. OEM Component Supply: Supply of piezoceramic base materials and components to other product divisions within PI Group and to external OEM customers for integration into their products.
5. Piezo Controllers & Drivers: Sale of electronic controllers and drivers for piezo actuators including models for various actuator types, energy harvesting applications, and custom integration requirements.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

PI Ceramic manufactures piezoceramic components (discs, cylinders, plates, blocks, rods, rings, tubes, spheres, hemispheres, bending elements, and composites) and multilayer piezo actuators under brands PICMA®, PICA, DuraAct, and Picoactuator®. The company also produces ultrasonic transducers and electronic controllers/drivers for its actuators, serving medical technology, semiconductor, industrial ultrasonics, and precision positioning applications.

Product overview

PI Ceramic is a manufacturer of piezoceramic technology, actuators, and components organized as a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core platform consists of piezoceramic materials and components (discs, tubes, rings, plates, spheres, bending elements, composites) serving as the fundamental building blocks. These feed into three main actuator product families: PICMA® multilayer actuators (linear, bender, chip versions) with all-ceramic insulation; PICA stack and shear actuators for high-voltage applications; and DuraAct patch transducers for surface integration. Supporting modules include piezo controllers/drivers (E-610, E-617, E-831, E-836 series), ultrasonic transducers, and smart interface products with flexible printed circuit boards. The portfolio also includes a Tech Center service for custom sample development. Applications span medical technology, semiconductor equipment, industrial sensor technology, and precision positioning systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PICMA®: Multilayer piezo actuators with all-ceramic insulation featuring linear deflections with low control voltages.
• PICA
• DuraAct
• Picoactuator®

Products and services

• Piezoceramic Components

Quantifiable outcome

• Piezoelectric discs can be delivered within two weeks with larger quantities available from stock
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• PI Group (Physik Instrumente)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPI Ceramic is a subsidiary and integral part of the PI Group, the innovation and market leader for high-precision positioning technology. PI Ceramic serves as the global competence center for piezo technology within the PI Group, providing piezoceramic components and actuators that integrate with PI's precision positioning systems.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Physik Instrumente (PI Group): Parent company of PI Ceramic and a global market leader in high-precision positioning technology. PI Ceramic's piezo actuators integrate directly into PI's nanopositioning systems, sharing technology, sales channels, and engineering resources.
• CTS Corporation: Manufacturer of electronic components including piezoelectric products for sensing and actuation in automotive, industrial, and medical markets. Directly competes with PI Ceramic in piezoceramic components and actuators.
• APC International: US-based manufacturer of piezoceramic components, transducers, and custom piezo elements. Directly comparable in product range (discs, tubes, plates, rings, custom shapes) and serves overlapping industrial and medical markets.
• Channel Industries: Specialty manufacturer of custom piezoelectric ceramic elements and ultrasonic transducers. Closely comparable to PI Ceramic in custom piezo components for medical, industrial, and underwater acoustic applications.
• Noliac (part of CTS): European manufacturer of multilayer piezoelectric actuators and piezoceramic components. Directly comparable product portfolio to PICMA® and PICA actuator families, particularly in low-voltage multilayer piezo technology.
• Kinetic Ceramics: Manufacturer of custom piezoelectric ceramic components and ultrasonic transducers. Comparable to PI Ceramic in offering custom piezo shapes and assemblies for OEM integration in medical, industrial, and sensor applications.

Broad incumbents

• Murata Manufacturing: Global electronics components leader with a sizable piezoelectric product portfolio (multilayer ceramic actuators, sensors). Competes with PI Ceramic across piezo actuators and ultrasonic transducers while serving broader electronics markets.
• TDK Corporation (including EPCOS piezo products): Major electronic component manufacturer with a piezo and MEMS actuator portfolio. Competes with PI Ceramic in multilayer piezo actuators and piezoelectric sensors for industrial and automotive applications.
• Ferroperm (part of Meggitt / Parker Hannifin): Manufacturer of high-performance piezoceramic materials and components, historically under Meggitt and now within Parker Hannifin's portfolio. Competes with PI Ceramic in high-end piezoelectric ceramics for defense, medical, and industrial sensing.
• CeramTec: Large European technical ceramics manufacturer with a piezoceramic product line. Overlaps with PI Ceramic on advanced ceramic components used in medical, electronics, and industrial applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PI Ceramic