FAQ

In addition to these commonly asked questions, please see our Technical Characteristics of Flexinol® Wires located on the Dynalloy web page at http://www.dynalloy.com/TechSheets.html. For further information please contact Dynalloy.

How do I place an order?

Orders may be placed via: email to flexinol@dynalloy.com , over the phone 1(714) 436-1206 or fax to 1 (714) 436-0511.

Your phone number and full address is needed for shipping, please include it with your order.

Domestic Shipping: Domestic packages are usually sent via UPS Ground. Packages sent in this fashion are usually received 3-5 days after the product is shipped from our facility. Please specify if you would prefer a faster shipping method, or if you have a shipping account that you would like to use. Orders usually take 2-4 days to be processed at our facility, depending on the type of order.

International Shipping: International packages are typically sent FedEx International Priority (FOB Irvine, CA, U.S.A.) for approximately $65-$200.00 (This price excludes Customs Handling and/or Tariff fees by your Location). Please specify if you would prefer a different shipping method, or if you have a shipping account that you would like to use. Packages sent via FedEx International Priority are usually received 3-4 days after the product is shipped from our facility. Orders usually take 2-4 days to be processed at our facility, depending on the type of order.

Payment Methods:
Where are Flexinol® actuator wires useful?

Flexinol® actuator wire is useful in all types of products that require a linear motion. While the biggest gains in reducing cost and power consumption are found in applications where the total work required is less than 1 inch*lb (~ 0.1 N*m), the incredibly low volume and mass along with it’s unique thermal response characteristics makes it useful almost everywhere.
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What are the operating ambient temperatures?

Flexinol® is quite frequently used in devices that are rated for – 40°C and below. The maximum operating temperature however is limited. This is due to the temperature hysteresis between the heating and cooling cycles. The return (cooling) transition temperature is approximately 25-30 °C below the contracting (heating) transition temperature. For example, a 90 °C material will not return to its oiginal length until around 60 °C. Since the transition temperatures are dependent on stress, the actual operating limits are device specific and it is possible to reach an operating ambient above 80°C with state of the art designs. In addition, there are new alloys under development for higher ambient temperature operations up to 300 °C. Please contact your sales representative for more information.
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Where have Flexinol® actuator wires been used already?

Flexinol® has been used in a variety of different devices in many different industries. Some examples include:

I'm having trouble with my design. What should I do?

Contact Dynalloy! Dynalloy’s SMA Actuator Design Engineering team is dedicated to saving customers time and money by drastically reducing expensive R&D cycles.
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Are Flexinol® actuator wires “one way” or “two way” ?

After contracting Flexinol® or removing the heat, a bias force will need to be applied in order to stretch the wire back out. The wire will elongate some on its own but not a full 4 percent. This bias force is typically around 7-10 KSI (KSI=thousand pounds per square inch).
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How do I achieve faster response times?

The response time of Flexinol® actuators is dependent on how quickly you can heat and cool the material. Decreasing the heating time can be achieved by increasing the power input to achieve the same amount of energy in Joules. Use caution, however, not to overheat the wire with your new power setting. In order to cool the wire faster, using multiple strands of smaller diameter increases the surface area to mass ratio, which decreases the cooling time. Also, coatings or other heat sinks can be used. Refer to Dynalloy’s Technical Characteristics of Flexinol® for additional tips and techniques.
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Attaching? Can Flexinol® actuator wires be soldered or welded?

The most common technique used in volume manufacturing is terminating the wire and providing electrical contact with a crimp, typically brass. Soldering presents a number of issues including harsh chemical fluxes and temperature restrictions for the material. Welding is also an option, and ongoing research is being conducted to create a viable commercial process.
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What is the Young's Modulus?

Although for most materials, the modulus of elasticity is a constant, this is not the case concerning SMA's. For Flexinol®, it can vary greatly with composition, elongation, training, and temperature. For NiTinol in the low temperature phase, it varies around 28-40 GPa and in the high temperature phase, it is around 83 GPa.
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