Innovative. Actuators. Sensors.
Innovative. Actuators. Sensors.
In compact drone systems, mechanical functions must be implemented reliably within very limited space. Conventional solutions using electric motors, gearboxes, or electromagnetic actuators often increase weight, installation space, and complexity. Actuators made from shape memory alloys offer an alternative.
On November 12, 2025, at 4:30 p.m., the "Production Engineering Talks" will take place at Fraunhofer IWU in Dresden. This year's theme is "From Research to Application: Processing Technologies for Shape Memory Alloys." We look forward to seeing you there!
SMA actuators are not subject to scaling effects, making them an unrivaled drive concept as miniaturization increases. Especially at the frontier between precision engineering and microsystems technology, they demonstrate their advantages by enabling precise and compact solutions.
Shape memory alloys (SMA) are revolutionizing actuator technology: thanks to their extremely high energy density, they enable ultra-compact yet powerful drives. In the HochPerForm project, Fraunhofer IWU developed highly dynamic SMA short-stroke actuators (Ø 15mm x 16mm) that generate more than 5 kN of force despite their miniaturization – a performance that opens up entirely new applications.
