Nowadays smart materials change the future of our products and the future of mankind.
which develops and produces elements based on Shape Memory Alloys (short: SMA). Using the latest production and characterisation methods, we design SMA with highest qualities required for innovative products. We produce these materials and develop products with the desired functions. This way, we create High Tech products that are developed around the key component: the SMA element.
such as Shape Memory Alloys will meet us wherever actuation strokes and/or forces are needed or requested. Whether in equipment for domestic applications, cars, heatings, in cellphones, in satellites and even as functional implants in a human body.
allow the development of very efficient products and systems using SMA. By skillfull use of these functional materials complex assembly groups again become clearly positioned, smaller and lighter. It is an effective way to minimize costs and to save valuable ressources, too. This is a great benefit for the world and future generations.
Future products will be smaller, lighter, cheaper and more efficient. Why? Because they can.
From melt to component
Material and product development
Highest product quality by 100% vertical integration
What's behind SMA?
Shape Memory Alloys are metallic materials with the ability to remember their former shape after a seemingly plastic deformation. Thereby reversible macroscopic strains between 6-8% can be reached.
read more
The fundamental reason for this unique behavior is a solid state phase transformation between two crystalline structures in the alloy. These are called Martensite (low temperature phase) and Austenite (high temperature phase).
According to the alloy composition, environmental temperature and stress conditions, different effects can occur. They can be used intelligently to realize different technical applications.
SMA springs, for example, can open and close valves automatically when the temperature of the surrounding medium (air, water, oil) reaches a certain level (the Austenite start temperature) or exceeds it.
Straight wires can realize moderate strokes with very high actuation forces.
Under certain circumstances (wire diameter < 1,2-1,4mm) they are suitable for heating under electronic control directly through the ohmic resistance of the wire. For more information see the related topics History/Development, Potentials/Capability and Development/Future Trends in the navigation above.
If you would like to discover more, the Ingpuls SMA-Academy offers you further technical details and background information.
NiTi-SMA were first discovered and produced in the late 1950's. After that, it took many years to gain a deeper understanding of these materials and to build the first products based on SMA technology.
read more
In different medical applications the effect of superelasticity has been applied sucessfully. The development of the NiTi-stent was responsible for the commercial breakthrough of SMA in the late 1980’s in the medical sector.
In medical engineering, many other products followed that made use of the big advantages of SMA: the highest mechanical flexibility and biocompatibility against other materials at the same time.
However, high profits of these early SMA-suppliers impeded their urge for innovation. In most cases, the properties of today's standard SMA are not sufficient for the majority of industrial applications that require thermally activated SMA.
At the same time, potential users of the technology lacked the knowledge about the handling and the properties of SMA. Therefore, the integration of SMA into real products was, in most cases, unsuccessful.
Driven by the desire to close that gap and make these alloys usable for product development, many research groups wordwide dedicated their work and efforts in the last two decades to improve the understanding and the performance of these alloys.
The IP EMS0.1 is the first commercially available controller for SMA actuators. It allows for precise position control of actuators.
The positioning can be switched between on / off, discrete or continuous position modes.
IP EMS0.1 also provides realtime diagnosis of the actuator as well as compensation algorithms for fatigue and environmental temperature.
Innovative, competent and quality-oriented
Christian Großmann is founder and member of the management board. He is responsible for sales and marketing and is in charge of business development.
André Kortmann is founder and member of the management board. He is head of finance and quality management.
Burkhard Maaß is founder and memeber of the management board. He is head of production, human resources and product development.
Keep in touch with us via social networks!
We looking forward to hear from you!
