HYBRID SOLUTION FOR TWO-WAY INDUCED SHAPE MEMORY ACTUATOR

The actuation capability and the reliability of hybrid composites activated by shape memory alloys (SMA) are discussed in this work. The manufacturing of compact and safe actuators has been possible employing thermo-activated SMA which allows the polymer-based matrix to undertake many geometries. Different technological procedures are proposed for the manufacturing of this type of composites and the problems related to the production of such elements are discussed too. The adoption of non-metallic materials as deformation recovery elements, even if at present they do not allow a complete reversibility of the imposed deformation, represent an interesting research field, due to their properties of lightness, flexibility and low cost.