... of products without any direct contact between the product and the operator, where these joints and fasteners must be inserted in the product during its design and manufacturing phases. Generally, active joints and fasteners are made of smart materials such as shape memory alloys (SMAs), that can generate...

... activated by shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators. However, actuation of SMAs is complex due to their nonlinear and hysteresis behavior that depends on stress, strain, and temperature during operation. This work studies rapid manufacturing (via 3D printing), precise assembly, and performance evaluation...