• Researchers reimagine Nitinol as woven, fabric-like structures via 3D printing. • New superelastic metamaterials achieve flexibility beyond traditional laser powder bed fusion. • Design-focused geometry, not just composition, restores near‑industrial recoverable strain. • Complex woven forms-meshes, spheres, rings-created with unprecedented intricacy. • Potential impact spans robotics, aerospace, and medical device applications. • Project supported by IMPLANTS‑CM initiative and Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid.
Article Summaries:
- Researchers at IMDEA Materials Institute and the Technical University of Madrid have developed a design‑driven approach to 3D‑print nickel‑titanium (Nitinol) as interwoven, fabric‑like metamaterials. By shifting focus from alloy composition to architectural geometry, the team created tubular lattices and cylindrical woven structures that retain full superelasticity and shape‑memory behavior, overcoming the reduced elasticity typical of laser powder bed fusion. An algorithmic framework guided the design, and mechanical testing confirmed tunable stiffness, load‑bearing capacity, energy absorption, and toughness. This first demonstration of design‑based optimisation for additively manufactured Nitinol could benefit robotics, aerospace, and medical devices.
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