Abstract
Nickel-titanium offers a promising alternative to traditional actuation devices due to its shape memory effect (SME) large strain recovery, and damping capability. Shape memory alloy actuators, thereby, offer a low-shock alternative to traditional pyrotechnic release devices used in spacecraft and satellites as well as energy-absorption components such as spacecraft landing systems. Additive manufacturing (AM) allows the production of complex geometries benefiting from their lightweight and compact nature. A prime example is lattice structures, with a geometrically defined porous structures featuring a repeating unit cell pattern or patterns in space. Beyond being lightweight, these structures offer high specific strength, excellent shock absorption, heat dissipation, and biocompatibility. By examining different process parameters, AM presents the possibility of tailoring nitinol’s properties while potentially removing the additional step of post-processing heat treatments conventionally required for shaping shape memory alloys. This approach has the potential to save time, cost, and energy.
