This paper considers a flexible cantilever beam, which is actuated by piezoelectricmacro-fiber composite (MFC) patch actuators. For accurate positioning tasks, specialattention has to be paid to the inherent nonlinear hysteresis and creep behavior ofthese actuators. A detailed analysis of the MFC-actuated cantilever verifies thatthese nonlinearities can be efficiently captured by an operator-based model usingPrandtl–Ishlinskii’s theory. Based on a Hammerstein-like model with the nonlinearities atthe input connected in series with a linear infinite-dimensional beam model it follows thathysteresis and creep effects can be compensated by application of the inverse operator.Experimental results prove the feasibility of this approach. With this result, the trackingaccuracy of the combination of the compensator with the flatness-based feedforward controldesign as proposed in the companion paper (Schröck et al 2011 Smart Mater. Struct. 20015015) can be verified. Measurements demonstrate the applicability of this approachfor the realization of highly dynamic trajectories for the beam’s tip deflection.