What is Flexinol?
FLEXINOL® actuator wire is a trade name for shape memory alloy actuator wires. Made of nickel-titanium, these small diameter wires contract (typically 2% to 5% of their length) like muscles when electrically driven or heated.
How much force can nitinol generate?
Nitinol returns to its original shape with a pulling force of about 25,000 pounds per square inch. An actuator wire with a thickness of just 1/100 inch can lift 2 pounds.
What weight can nitinol lift?
A one gram Nitinol string “lifting” a four kilogram weight For example, unlike most other metal alloys, which expand when heated, Nitinol contracts. And it does so with remarkable strength. Nitinol can easily “lift” more than 4,000 times its own weight.
How does muscle wire work?
How do Muscle Wires work? At room temperature Muscle Wires are easily stretched by a small force. However, when conducting an electric current, the wire heats and changes to a much harder form that returns to the “unstretched” shape – the wire shortens in length with a usable amount of force.
How does cyclobenzaprine work in the body?
Cyclobenzaprine is a muscle relaxant. It works by blocking nerve impulses (or pain sensations) that are sent to your brain. Cyclobenzaprine is used together with rest and physical therapy to relieve muscle spasms caused by painful conditions such as an injury.
Does Nitinol react to electricity?
Nitinol wire has a high electrical resistance, approximately 1.25 ohms resistance per inch for the 6-mil wire. The resistance of the wire to the electric current quickly generates sufficient heat (ohmic heating) to bring the wire through its transition temperature.
How does a nitinol engine work?
The Nitinol exerts torque on the lower (smaller) wheel as it tries (in vein) to return to its original shape. This torque spins the lower wheel, and more Nitinol is drawn into the hot water. The other side of the loop is cooled by the air which momentarily relaxes the wire as it passes around the smaller pulley.
What is muscle wire made of?
Muscle Wire is an extremely thin wire made from Nitinol (a nickel-titanium alloy) that is known for its ability to contract when an electric current is applied.
What is nitinol wire used for?
Medical applications for nitinol include: Dentistry, especially in orthodontics for wires and brackets that connect the teeth. “Sure Smile” dental braces are an example of its application in orthodontics. Endodontics, mainly during root canals for cleaning and shaping root canals.
What is Nitinol used for in engineering?
Superelasticity. Nitinol acts as a super spring through the Superelastic effect. Superelastic materials undergo stress-induced transformation and are commonly recognized for their “shape-memory” property. Due to its superelasticity, NiTi wires exhibit “elastocaloric” effect, which is stress-triggered heating/cooling.
At what temperature does nitinol change?
A: It varies. By changing the composition of the metal (by changing the Ni/Ti ratio or with additives), the Nitinol can be “tuned” to a certain transition temperature: anywhere from – 140 ºC (as cold as winter on Mars’ poles) to 75 ºC (as hot as a cooked chicken out of the oven).
Is nitinol a conductor?
To device makers a superelastic nitinol wire rope manufacturer, and supplier around the world, the three most coveted features of nitinol are its: Excellent thermal conductivity. High corrosion resistance (more so than stainless steel)
Where is nitinol used for?
Nitinol is used for making shape-memory actuator wire used for numerous industrial purposes. This wire is used for guidewires, stylets and orthodontic files. This wire is ideal for applications requiring high loading and unloading plateau-stresses as well as for eyeglass frames and cell phone antennas.
How efficient is a nitinol engine?
The engine efficiency in terms of the energy loss due to friction and the heat-transfer coefficient is analyzed and estimated to be about 16%. It is seen that higher thermal efficiency can be obtained if a Nitinol alloy with a larger H value than given above can be found.
What can be improved with Flexinol® actuator wires?
Many tasks currently accomplished with small motors or solenoids, wax actuators, piezo, and bi-metals can be improved with FLEXINOL® actuator wires.
How does the Flexinol work?
For example, in the case of an arm that lifts a dead weight, when power is removed and the Flexinol cools, the weight of the payload will stretch the wire back to its extended length. Likewise, a robot leg that lifts the machine itself can use the weight of the robot to refresh the Flexinol.
What is the difference between nitinol and Flexinol?
When intended to be an actuator, Nitinol is usually formulated to transition at a temperature achievable with electric current. Flexinol is available in a both low temperature and high temperature formulations to support different applications.
What is the resistance of Flexinol wire?
Note that Flexinol has fairly high resistance compared with copper wire and other common conductors. In some applications it is possible to activate the wire without additional resistance in the circuit.