A shape memory alloy (SMA) is a material that, after being subjected to mechanical loading/unloading cycles, is able to undergo large deformations without showing residual strains (pseudoelasticity) or that can recover from large deformations via temperature change (shape memory effect).

Pseudoelasticity and the shape memory effect are material characteristics especially useful for aeronautical, biomedical, and structural engineering applications. Although much progress has been made with SMA material analysis and design, many challenges still exist for precisely controlling SMAs due to highly nonlinear hysteretic transformation, material degradation, and thermomechanical fatigue. Finite element analysis has been widely used to simulate SMA material and provides a valuable tool for designing products using SMA materials.