Page 144 - eBook_Proceedings of the International Conference on Digital Manufacturing V2

Proceedings of the International Conference on Digital Manufacturing –
Volume 2

the annoying property of shrinking quickly at room temperature,
making it difficult to handle during production.

Despite all the difficulties, we prepared this device. This study
presents the successful fabrication and preliminary evaluation of
a low-cost piezoelectric energy harvesting device by utilising
Rochelle salt as the active piezoelectric material. The device was
constructed using commercially available aluminium tape as the
base and electrode layer, offering a simple and conductive
substrate.

Rochelle salt was directly deposited onto the aluminium tape
using a controlled solution-showering method, ensuring uniform
surface coverage and crystalline formation suitable for
piezoelectric activity. To further enhance electrical conductivity
and facilitate charge collection, another Aluminium tape was
applied over the Rochelle salt layer, acting as the top electrode.

All fabrication steps were conducted under ambient conditions
without the need for vacuum or high-temperature processes,
reinforcing the cost-effectiveness and scalability of the method.
Under mechanical loading, the device exhibited a measurable
piezoelectric voltage output, validating the feasibility of this
straightforward design.

These results highlight the effective combination of aluminium
tape, Rochelle salt, which serves as a workable platform for low-
power energy harvesting. Future work will focus on optimising
crystal deposition techniques, improving electrode uniformity,
and assessing long-term stability for integration into flexible and
wearable self-powered systems. The remarkable application of
this device is for use in energy harvesting and electrical
components, like in sensor usage.

128