Shape-memory motor

by John Lewis, Regional Technical Editor -- Design News, March 11, 2002


Thanks to patented heat sink technology that improves control of shape change, this actuator is available in 1 million or 5 million cycle versions.

The NanoMuscle Actuator exploits the properties of shape-memory alloys (SMA) to produce movement. The result: a linear actuator that costs less than a dollar, is three to five times more efficient than existing motors and 1/3 the weight, traverses 4 mm silently in 100 millisec, and is strong enough to move 140-gm loads.

The motor uses hair-thin nickel-titanium SMA wires, stacked plates of stamped steel, and crimped interconnects. Adding sliding planes increases stroke length. The device, half the length of a matchstick and about the width of a paper clip, includes a control system and feedback to achieve repeatable 40-micron accuracy.

Lou Scalzo, NanoMuscle Inc., 2545 West 10th St., Ste. A, Antioch, CA 94509; Tel: (925) 776-4726; Fax: (925) 755-9572; E-mail: lou@nanomuscle.com.

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Submit your ideas and rough drawings for this section to John Lewis, Designer's Corner, Design News, 275 Washington St., Newton, MA 02458

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