A shape memory composite (SMC) was fabricated with a shape memory alloy (SMA) and a shape memory polymer (SMP), and its two-way bending deformation and recovery force were investigated. The results obtained can be summarized as follows: (1) two kinds of SMA tapes which show the shape memory effect (SME) and superelasticity (SE) were heat-treated to memorize the round shape. The shape-memorized ...

T his is the second in a series of articles to introduce phenomena and experimental subtleties that can lead to difficulties in testing shape memory alloy (SMA) wire. Our aims were to acquaint uninitiated engineers with SMA testing and to highlight pitfalls in technique and interpreting test results. In the previous article (Part 1), thermomechanical experiments were presented on two commercial...

Impact responses of rectangular composite plates with embedded shape memory alloy (SMA) wires are investigated in the present research. The plate is assumed to be placed in a thermal environment; so that in contrast to the available researches in the field, the shape memory and ferroelasticity effects have to be considered also in addition to the superelasticity. The governing equations are der...

M. Kelemen, I. Virgala, E. Prada, T. Lipták Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Košice, Slovakia Th e paper deals with Shape memory alloy (SMA) spring analysis and its possibility for usage as actuator for in-pipe machine. In the paper the inner structure of SMA is introduced. Further, the experimental analysis of SMA contractor and expander was done. From the experiments...

A simulator is developed to model and design high strain shape memory alloy (SMA) tension actuators. The simulator may be used predict characteristics of a given actuator, or to design its geometry under speci cations such as force, speed, stroke and size. The accuracy of the model is veri ed experimentally in reference to an existing NiTi shape memory alloy prototype actuator. Having developed...

This research studied the optimal design of Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) muscle wire bundle actuators. Current literature describes the use of multiple muscle wires placed in parallel to increase the lifting capabilities of an SMA actuator, which however, is limited to wires of like-diameter. A constrained optimization problem was formulated, with constraints on the maximum number of wires, voltage...

THE TERM SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS (SMA) is applied to that group of metallic materials that demonstrate the ability to return to some previously defined shape or size when subjected to the appropriate thermal procedure. Generally, these materials can be plastically deformed at some relatively low temperature, and upon exposure to some higher temperature will return to their shape prior to the deform...

This paper presents micro self-reconfigurable modular robotic systems using shape memory alloy (SMA). The system is designed so that various shapes can be autonomously formed by a group of identical mechanical units. The unit realizes rotational motion by using an actuator mechanism composed of two SMA torsion coil springs. We have realized micro-size prototype units and examined their fundamen...

This paper presents a two-part controller that uses a state variable estimator for control of a single degree of freedom rotary manipulator actuated by Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) wire. A model for the SMA actuated manipulator is presented. The model includes nonlinear dynamics of the manipulator, a constitutive model of the Shape Memory Alloy, and the electrical and heat transfer behavior of SMA ...