Published in Journal of Industrial Engineering and Robotics, Volume 5, Number 2
Written by MILEA Oana Elena, Claudiu Răzvan VIȘAN
Scientific coordinators: Delia GȂRLEANU, Cornelia LUCHIAN

The history of shape memory materials began in 1932 when it was discovered that at a certain temperature the materials have a specific elasticity. The first application of shape memory materials was exhibited in 1958 at the International Fair in Brussels. Among the many materials with shape memory, the most notable is nitinol. In order to obtain an alloy with shape memory, metallurgical operations are needed: melting, alloying, casting, primary heat treatment, plastic deformation etc. Shape memory alloys (abbreviated as MFA) have a number of properties that are very different from ordinary metal materials. Remarkable is the ability to change its geometric shape when switching from a low temperature to a high. At present these alloys have uses in the aeronautical, aerospace, mechanical, electronic, medical and industrial industries as well as in many other fields.

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