Hochperform

Smaller than a 1-euro coin, but lifts a horse!

Actuators are the key components in production plants and machinery. While most conventional actuators are large and heavy, shape memory alloys (SMA) offer the possibility of developing extremely compact actuators that can generate impressive forces, thanks to their high energy density (10⁶ J*m^-3). As part of the HochPerForm project, Fraunhofer IWU researched highly dynamic SMA short-stroke actuators that, despite their miniaturization (Ø 15mm x 16mm), can achieve forces exceeding 5 kN. This enables applications that were previously impossible.

Benefits and Potential: Small actuators – massive forces

Miniaturized SMA short-stroke actuators are ideal for applications in the automotive industry, aerospace, and mechanical engineering, where minimal weight and installation space are required alongside high force requirements.

Challenge

Switching speed is a challenge, as the thermal inertia of the actuators leads to long cooling times. Our goal at Fraunhofer IWU is to optimize thermal behavior in order to significantly increase the dynamics of these actuators.

Advantages over other actuator technologies:

• Significantly smaller size and mass
• Very high achievable forces
• Precise controllability of force or position
• Scalable approach
• Minimal need for auxiliary units