19 January 2021, 6:00 am EST By
By adding sensing mechanisms into 3D printable fingers, scientists have advanced robotic gripper by making them more human-like.
Making more human-like robotic grippers are made possible by adding sensory capabilities to the fingers, providing feedback to the gripper and allowing it to adjust appropriately. However, conventional sensors tend to compromise the mechanical properties of these soft robots.
Researchers latest effort at Ritsumeikan University in Japan resulted in the design and fabrication of a 3D printable soft robotic finger fitted with a built-in sensor of adjustable stiffness. Details of their study are reported in the journal Nano Energy, included in its January 2021 issue.
#15 - Straighter deep-hole drilling
Top articles from 2020: Counter-rotation gundrilling delivers required concentricity for deep hole applications in precision medical devices.
Manufacturers achieve concentricity tolerances when the hole follows the desired axis of the part, eliminating drift from the point of entry to the exit. In a round part with on-center drilling, this is easily illustrated; some applications may include off-center deep holes or holes in non-round parts that still have tight concentricity requirements.
Low concentricity in some applications can weaken sidewalls, lead to mismatched holes, or force producers to scrap parts. Adding a counter-rotating process on deep-hole drilling equipment allows manufacturers to economically achieve critical tolerances.
October 2020 US cutting tool orders up 7.6%
Recovery is in line with rising demand from manufacturers of electrical and medical equipment.
September s $156.1 million and down 22.4% when compared with the $216.4 million reported for
October 2019. With a year-to-date total of $1.6 billion, 2020 is down 23% when compared with October 2019.
These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals reported by the companies participating in the CTMR program. The totals here represent the majority of the U.S. market for cutting tools.
According to Bret Tayne, president of USCTI, “Cutting tool sales for October appear to confirm that at least the bleeding has stopped. We may have taken a step backward in November as COVID cases surged and due to typical seasonality, but the overall direction is encouraging. The beginning of vaccine distribution, along with the potential for significant pent-up demand in some customer segments, bodes well for our industry as we head into 2021
#16 - Are you EU MDR ready?
Top articles from 2020: Trumpf image processing and cameras ensure quality management compliance of unique device identification requirements of the European Union Medical Device Regulation.
Final versions of the European Union Medical Device Regulation (EU MDR) and the In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR) go into effect May 2020 and 2022, respectively. These regulations, alongside the already launched U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unique device identification (UDI) ruling, have impacted how medtech companies develop and market
products for use and distribution. Even with seven notified bodies and counting, manufacturers remain concerned with the looming compliance deadline. A recent statement from the European Commissioner for Health emphasized the May 26, 2020, MDR deadline holds, despite any postponement of the EUDAMED database.
PTC to acquire Arena Solutions
Combination of Onshape and Arena will enable PTC to deliver complete CAD + PLM SaaS solution.
provider. The
acquisition will further PTC’s strategy to be the leader in the rapidly growing market for SaaS-based product development software, enabling the company to deliver a complete CAD + PLM SaaS solution. Under the terms of the agreement, PTC will acquire Arena Solutions for $715 million in cash. Subject to customary closing conditions and completion of regulatory review, the acquisition is expected to be completed in PTC’s fiscal Q2 2021. A year ago, PTC entered the SaaS world for product development software with our acquisition of Onshape,” says Jim Heppelmann, president and CEO, PTC. “That move reflected our strong conviction that our market is nearing a tipping point in its willingness to adopt SaaS technology, following the trend seen in many other software markets. The effects of COVID-19 have dramatically accelerated this inevitab