## 4 Conclusions and Outlook  
The integration of sensors and actuators like piezoceramic modules exhibits a high potential to functionalize composite materials. Especially, a manufacturing technology ready for serial production can reduce the costs of active structures and, thus, lead to a wider range of possible applications. The developed _ePreforming_ technology gives the possibility to integrate sensors and actuators into composites using established manufacturing technologies, like press processes. Furthermore, the process enables the integration of sensor-actuator arrays with reproducible positioning. Both possibilities could be validated in the performed manufacturing studies. Moreover, the robustness of the _ePreforming_ technique, in terms of fatigue behavior in comparison with conventionally-bonded functional elements, will be analyzed in further studies. Considering the functional testing, experimental studies were done, showing the high potential of piezoelectric transducer arrays for an angular radiation of ultrasound waves. In the future, this effect can be used to realize new material-integrated concepts for measuring distances or flow rates. Additionally, the developed concept can be applied for SHM applications based on the analysis of Lamb wave scatter on discontinuities or cracks. The following are available online at www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/6/3/55/s1, Video S1: Animation of the wave field for analyzed structure. Figure 15: Measured maximum sound pressure level of the radiated ultrasound burst at different heights. (**A**) 10 mm above the plate; (**B**) 30 mm above the plate; (**C**) 70 mm above the plate. **Acknowledgments:** The presented work is part of the research within the context of the Collaborative Research Centre/Transregio (SFB/TR) 39 PT-PIESA, subproject B04, and the Collaborative Research Centre (SFB) 639, subproject D3. The transducers and transducer arrays were kindly provided by the subprojects A05 and T03 of the SFB/TR39. The authors are grateful to the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG; eng. German Research Foundation) for the financial support of the SFB/TR39 and the SFB639. **Author Contributions:** [PERSON] conceived and wrote this article as well as analyzed the experimental data; [PERSON] setup the numerical model as well as performed the simulations; [PERSON] designed and conducted the manufacturing of all structures used throughout the studies and performed the mechanical characterization; [PERSON] and [PERSON] supervised and coordinated the investigations as well as performed checkup of the manuscript's logical structure. **Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest. * [PERSON] (1999) [PERSON] On laminated composite plates with integrated sensors and actuators. _Eng. Struct._**1999**, _21_, 568-593. [CrossRef]
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