Manufacturing of Shape Memory Alloys

Herein, we describe how shape memory alloys (SMAs) are manufactured. Different processes are used, and each step is crucial for the final functional properties of the device. Starting from the way of melting, based on the wanted alloy control of the chemical composition and impurities content, each preparation method affects the mechanical and thermal characteristics of the SMA product. The traditional working preparation and the thermomechanical optimization of the material are described. We concentrate our interest on the NiTi alloys and the NiTi-derived ternary systems, which are the most important SMA metallic materials. A relevant number of manufacturing processes have been developed to fulfill the applicative outlooks of these smart alloys.