An Innovative Electromagnetic Actuator Based on Magnetic Shape Memory Alloys

The paper investigates an innovative actuator combination based on the magnetic shape memory technology. The actuator is composed of an electromagnet, which is activated to produce motion, and a magnetic shape memory element, which is used passively to yield multistability, i.e. the possibility of holding a position without input power. Based on the experimental open-loop frequency characterization of the actuator, a position controller is developed and tested in several experiments.