4D-printed Fe-SMA for smart connections – Review of the MPA conference presentation

At the MPA Conference in Stuttgart, Maximilian Loewe (Institute for Steel Construction) presented research results on the additive manufacturing of iron-based shape memory alloys (Fe-SMA) using wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM). A defect-free Fe-SMA wall with high surface quality was successfully produced; thermomechanical and microstructural investigations confirmed the shape memory effect and a promising mechanical performance compared to conventionally manufactured references. This brings cost-efficient 4D printing of smart composites for large-scale civil engineering applications within reach.

Highlights:

• Approach: Fe-SMA + WAAM = 4D-printed, customized, and economical smart parts for complex geometries.
• Process: Parameters initially determined using stainless steel wire (reduced energy input, high surface quality), then successfully transferred to Fe-SMA; characterized thermomechanically and microstructurally.
• Result: Defect-free Fe-SMA wall; verification of the shape memory effect and convincing material properties in the as-deposited state.

This work is a joint effort by the Institute for Steel Construction and the Institute of Materials Science at Leibniz University Hannover, the Institute of Materials Technology at the University of Kassel, Empa – Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology – and the School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering at the University of Tehran.

We would like to thank the participants of the MPA conference for their keen interest and professional exchange.