4. Final heat treatment for education

The performance of AMFs is directly linked to the nature and quality of the thermomechanical treatments applied. To achieve full shape memory or super-elastic properties, the NiTi element constrained and locked into the desired shape must undergo a final heat treatment: this is the "education" treatment. The heat treatment techniques used to fix a shape in memory elements or super-elastic shapes are similar.

Treatment parameters are relatively critical, and are usually determined experimentally according to the specific requirements of each type of part. In general, temperatures down to 400°C and treatment times of 1 to 2 min may be sufficient, but it is more...