Sensing and Actuating Functions by Shape Memory Alloy Wires Integrated into Fiber Reinforced Plastics

Abstract Lightweight design based on fiber reinforced plastics (FRP) has potential for improvement by integration of sensors and actuators made of smart material filaments. Regarding FRP with integrated actuating shape memory alloy (SMA) wires, this paper presents important characteristics of such an adaptive composite and its components for design purposes. Beyond that, the first successful pultrusion processing of sensing SMA wires is proposed to address lightweight design mass production for safety-related applications. Measurements of this smart composite structure with strain sensor functionality proved high sensitivity compared to conventional sensors.