Benefits of MicroActuators

Overcoming Limitations in Micro-Scale Actuation with NiFeGa MicroWire Technology

RVactuators' NiFeGa MicroWire technology resolves long-standing SMA actuation challenges, enabling compact, efficient, and durable solutions tailored for high-performance, space-constrained environments.

What makes us unique

5 difference makers

Low Production Price
High Axial Strain (>10%)
High Strength (260MPa)
Adjustable Temperature
Sensing Properties

RVactuators’ NiFeGa MicroWire Solution

RVactuators introduces a breakthrough with NiFeGa-based SMA MicroWires, engineered to meet the stringent demands of aerospace and precision systems:

  • Embedded Thermal Sensing: Integrated resistance-based sensing enables real-time feedback and closed-loop control, eliminating the need for external sensors.
  • High-Speed Actuation: Micron-scale dimensions allow for rapid Joule heating and cooling, delivering fast transformation cycles without active cooling.
  • Extended Fatigue Life: Proprietary alloy formulations support over 5 million actuation cycles, ensuring long-term reliability in repetitive-use scenarios.
  • Optimized Energy Usage: Lightweight MicroWires with efficient thermal profiles enable pulse actuation and reduced power consumption—ideal for spacecraft and autonomous systems.
  • High Force and Displacement: Despite their scale, the wires achieve excellent force-to-weight ratios and can be mechanically bundled or amplified for larger motions.
  • Environmental Robustness: Coated and encapsulated MicroWires resist radiation and extreme thermal cycling, maintaining integrity in harsh space conditions.
  • Simplified Integration: Intrinsic feedback and compact design reduce complexity, supporting miniaturized, scalable applications in micro-positioners, deployable mechanisms, and precision robotics.

Challenges with Traditional SMA Actuators

Current micro-scale actuators, especially those based on conventional Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs), suffer from critical drawbacks limiting their performance in advanced systems such as satellites:

  • Thermal Instability: Conventional SMAs are sensitive to ambient temperature fluctuations, leading to unintentional actuation.
  • Slow Response: Bulk SMAs exhibit sluggish transformation times, unsuitable for dynamic environments.
  • Short Fatigue Life: High-cycle applications degrade traditional SMA performance.
  • Low Energy Efficiency: Poor thermal management and high energy demand reduce the feasibility in power-limited systems.
  • Force and Stroke Limitations: Miniaturized actuators often compromise on output force and displacement.
  • Feedback Complexity: Reliance on external sensors adds bulk and complicates integration.