What's on the Cutting Edge of Technology

May 2008 Edition

NexTech

Robotic Legs Assist Paraplegics

An alternative to wheelchairs lets paralyzed people do what was previously considered impossible: stand, walk, and climb stairs. The ReWalk exoskeleton is a light, wearable brace support suit with DC motors at the joints, rechargeable batteries, sensors, and a computer-based control system. Users wear a backpack device and braces on their legs, and select the activity they want from a remote control. A sensor on the chest determines the torso’s angle and guides the legs to move forward or backward to maintain balance.

The ReWalk was designed by Taga, Tel Aviv, Israel, for medical device company Argo Medical Technologies, Ltd., Haifa, Israel, using SolidWorks 3D CAD software from SolidWorks Corp., Concord, MA., a Dassault Systèmes S.A. company.

“There are a lot of challenges to design something that imitates a human walking, including universal fit for a broad range of user height and weight measurements, as well as a low profile that is both contemporary and user friendly,” Assaf Barel, design engineer at Taga, said.

Mini-jets for Tiny Aircraft

Unmanned air vehicles – UAVs – are finding greater use as both observational and weapons platforms. Technology advancements have led to the development of miniaturized UAVs, providing opportunities for cheaper military aircraft that do not risk aircrews.

Tusas Engine Industries Inc., Turkey, developed a small turbojet engine and an advanced turboprop engine using finite element analysis. The small turbine engines are designed to power unmanned air vehicles for applications such as military target drones.

The engines have a high-speed, precision radial compressor impeller. The impeller compresses air entering the engine inlet and delivers it to the combustion chamber. Rotational speeds on the order of 100,000 rpm are necessary to achieve high compression. Design challenges related to vibration, resonance, transonic flow, shock waves in diffusers, and high stress levels had to be overcome in engine development.

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Industry News

Tornos/Tsugami Alliance Has Little Impact in U.S.
While Tornos S.A., Switzerland, and Tsugami Corp., Tokyo, announced the formation of an alliance in February, Bradley Morris, president of Rem Sales, the exclusive North American importer of Tsugami machine tools, clarified the announcement. He said the partnership agreement primarily affects Europe and Asia.

Welding Equipment and Supplies Predicted to Grow to $13.2 Billion by 2008 End
The global market for welding equipment and supplies will be worth $13.2 billion by the end of 2008 according to a report – Welding Equipment And Supplies: The Global Market – from BCC Research. It is expected to increase to $16.8 billion by 2013, a compound annual growth rate of five percent.

2007 a Record Sales Year for CAD/CAM Developer Delcam
CAD/CAM developer Delcam achieved record sales in 2007, continuing the strong increase that has been seen in recent years. Group sales for the year to December 31, 2007 rose by 11 percent to $59.3 million from $53.3 million in 2006. The results were driven by growth in software licence and maintenance sales in the core Power Solution range of software, and by additional revenue from the company’s newer software ranges, FeatureCAM, which was acquired in July 2005; PartMaker, which was acquired in July 2006; and Crispin, which was acquired in December 2006.

Las Vegas Machine Tool Show to Premiere in 2011
The American Machine Tool Distributors’ Association and Society of Manufacturing Engineers announced they will collaborate on the Machine Tool Experience-Las Vegas – MTELV – event to be launched in 2011.

CAD Growth Slows, but Remains Strong
The CAD industry has undergone a renaissance during the last five years as a result of factors such as hardware advances that put 64-bit, multi-core computers into the mainstream.

Conference to Examine Cutting Edge Manufacturing Innovations
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers announced the Innovations That Could Change The Way You Manufacture initiative. This member-driven initiative outlines emerging technologies with potential positive impact on manufacturing. It also provides an educational framework for SME members and manufacturing practitioners to keep up-to-date with the industry’s latest and greatest innovations.