MTI Systems Inc.  supports the FIRST Tech Challenge robotics club, MIGHTY Mechanics, based in Agawam, Mass. 

“Selecting a career, as we all know, is never an easy process,” remarks Thomas Charkiewicz, president of MTI Systems. “We are pleased to help young people experience real-life manufacturing while helping them afford more high-tech opportunities through programs such as FIRST Tech Challenge robotics.”

Since 1992, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) has been inspiring young people to be science and technology leaders. FIRST programs, range from kindergarten to high school. MIGHTY Mechanics is part of the First Tech challenge (FTC) program designed for students in grades 7-12 where their robot competes using a sports model. 

Teams, assisted by coaches, mentors, and volunteers, are responsible for developing strategies to design, build, and program their robots to compete in an alliance format with and against other teams. Awards are presented for success from the robots competition, as well as for community outreach, design, and other real-world accomplishments. For instance, MIGHTY Mechanics received the “Think Award” during their first tournament in Lexington, Mass., which granted them entry into the state competition.

Joining forces to support manufacturing initiatives through FIRST programs continues to grow amongst manufacturers worldwide. These programs have been successfully encouraging career-minded students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and manufacturing. MTI Systems, Inc., is eager and proud to participate with these manufacturing initiatives - especially when the company can see direct results from their contribution. 

“Our manufacturing customers still see a declining pool of adequately skilled job candidates,” Charkiewicz states. “So when local manufacturers participate and report successful hiring – we know assuredly our contribution is directed at a great cause.” 

Encompassing more than just an interest in building the robots, in 2014, these programs provide almost 900 individual scholarship opportunities with a total value of more than $19,000,000. There are also opportunities for manufacturing-based internships. For instance, UTC (United Technologies Corporation) offers opportunities to work in areas such as Aerospace, Fire Protection, Industrial, Manufacturing / Process / Quality, Material Science, and Mechanical Systems. The NASA Robotics Academy, offers a 10-week resident internship during the summer for students specifically interested in robotics. Additionally, another local manufacturer, G & L Tool Co., not only offers club field trips for students to directly manufacture robot parts on their machining work centers, they have hired participating students upon graduation from high school.

“Helping our children learn about manufacturing early in their life,” remarks Dave Smith, production manager of G&L Tool, “is one sure way to help some of them find their way. Fortunately for us, some of them actually became our employees!”

Source: MTI Systems Inc.

Sunnyvale, California – Intuitive Surgical Inc., the global leader in robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery, announced the FDA clearance and U.S. introduction of the da Vinci Xi Surgical System, a technological leap forward in replacing large-incision abdominal surgeries (open surgery) with a minimally invasive approach.

The da Vinci Xi System has broader capabilities than prior generations of the da Vinci System. It can be used across a wide spectrum of minimally invasive surgical procedures and has been optimized for complex, multi-quadrant surgeries.

For more than a decade, da Vinci Surgical Systems have provided patients with a minimally invasive alternative to open surgery that reduces many of the costs and complications associated with open procedures. Intuitive Surgical designed the new da Vinci Xi System with the goal of further advancing the technology used in minimally invasive surgery for complex diseases and conditions in gynecology, urology, thoracic, cardiac, and general surgery.

"Our goal is to develop technology that enhances surgical performance," says Gary Guthart, Intuitive Surgical president and chief executive officer. "The da Vinci Xi System's new overhead architecture means that multi-quadrant surgery can be performed without repositioning the system, an innovation long sought by surgeons who perform complex procedures. We strive to provide the most advanced, least invasive option for surgery, and we are working hard to make minimally invasive surgery the standard of care."

With the U.S. introduction now underway, Intuitive Surgical will be seeking regulatory clearances to market the da Vinci Xi System around the world.

Efficient anatomical access, crystal clear 3D-HD visualization
By enabling efficient access throughout the abdomen and chest, the da Vinci Xi System expands upon core da Vinci System features, including wristed instruments, 3D-HD visualization, intuitive motion, and an ergonomic design. As with all da Vinci Surgical Systems, the da Vinci Xi System's immersive 3D-HD vision system provides surgeons a highly magnified view, virtually extending their eyes and hands into the patient.

Compared to prior da Vinci Systems, the da Vinci Xi System's key features include:

• New overhead instrument arm architecture designed to facilitate anatomical access from virtually any position
• A new endoscope digital architecture that creates a simpler, more compact design with improved visual definition and clarity
• An ability to attach the endoscope to any arm, providing flexibility for visualizing the surgical site
• Smaller, thinner arms with newly designed joints that offer a greater range of motion than ever before
• Longer instrument shafts designed to give surgeons greater operative reach

In addition, the da Vinci Xi System is built to be compatible with Intuitive Surgical's Firefly Fluorescence Imaging System. While it is not currently available, we plan to seek regulatory clearance for use of Firefly Imaging with the da Vinci Xi System. This technology is currently available as an option with the da Vinci Si model, and it is used to provide the surgeon with additional visual information in a variety of surgical procedures by enabling real-time visualization and assessment of vessels, bile ducts, and tissue perfusion.

A system designed for the future
The da Vinci Xi System is an expandable technology platform that is designed to accommodate and seamlessly integrate a range of current technologies in areas such as imaging, advanced instruments and anatomical access, as well as future innovations.

To provide hospitals with choices to match their needs, Intuitive Surgical will continue to offer the current da Vinci Si System, which addresses a broad span of procedure complexity, and the da Vinci Si-e System, a lower-cost system suited for less complex surgeries.

Source: Intuitive Surgical Inc.

A new market research report - Global Additive Manufacturing Market (2012 - 2017), By Application (Medical Devices, Automotives, & Aerospace) and Technology (3D Printing, Laser Sintering, Stereolithography, Fused Deposition Modeling, Electron Beam Melting, & Tissue Engineering) – analyzes and studies the major market drivers, restraints, and opportunities in additive manufacturing.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is an automatic process used to create rapid prototypes and functional end-use parts. It takes virtual designs from computer aided design (CAD) software, and transforms them into thin, virtual, horizontal layer-wise cross-sections, until the model is complete. AM has potential growth in every manufacturing sector with a global additive manufacturing market of $1,843.2 million in 2012 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13.5% to reach $3,471.9 million by 2017.

The global devices market has been segmented into different areas such as, automotive, consumer products, business machines, medical, academic, aerospace, government/military and others. Automotive or motor vehicles account for the largest share in this market, primarily due to the easy applications of 3D printing in the production of end-products (engines, spare parts, other interior, and exterior parts) as compared to other segments such as consumer products and business machines, which have limited usage in manufacturing of end-products. Rising healthcare expenditure in emerging economies provide growth opportunities for the AM technologies, as new healthcare facilities have come up in these areas.

New and improved technologies, financial support from governments, large application area, rapid product development at a low cost, and ease of development of custom products are the major drivers that are slated to propel additive manufacturing market. However, a few pivotal factors restraining the growth of this market are regulatory hurdles in different countries, material characterization during development, and process control and understanding.

This report is mainly focusing on medical applications of AM. Within the medical industry, additive manufacturing is used in making end-products such as surgical equipments, prosthetics & implants, and scaffolds. The additive manufacturing market is growing due to the rising incidence of surgeries, coupled with increasing awareness and advances in technology. Surgical equipments account for the largest share in this market due to their wide applicability.

Europe dominates the AM for medical devices market in 2012, followed by North America. However, adoption of novel technologies in the medical field is gaining momentum at a fast pace in emerging nations due to growing educational and awareness efforts of industry players among physicians and patients. Moreover, increasing healthcare expenditure, growing income levels, low cost of manufacturing, rapid product development, growing surgical procedures in lieu with medical tourism, and lesser competition than mature countries, have amplified interest of market players in emerging markets.

The key players in this market are 3D Systems Corp. (U.S.), 3T RPD (U.K.), Arcam AB (Sweden), Biomedical Modeling Inc. (U.S.), Envisiontec GmbH (Germany), EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems (Germany), Fcubic AB (Sweden), GPI Prototype and Manufacturing Services Inc. (U.S.), Greatbatch Inc. (U.S.), Layerwise NV (Belgium), Limacorporate SPA (Italy), Materialise NV (Belgium), Medical Modeling Inc. (U.S.), and others.

Source: Markets and Markets

Rochester, New York – Quality Vision Int’l (QVI) has acquired ShapeGrabber Inc., a manufacturer of automated 3D scanners for industrial applications.

ShapeGrabber is a provider of 3D laser scanners that are particularly valuable for measuring and inspecting complex-shaped parts that are otherwise too time consuming, costly, or difficult to measure. The scanners are used for quality control in automotive, aerospace, medical, and other industrial markets to help manufacturers reduce defects, rapidly conduct first-article inspections, troubleshoot fit problems, and provide documented proof that components meet design specifications.

"ShapeGrabber satisfies a need among our customers for fast, easy-to-use industrial 3D scanners that can measure complex shapes effectively,” said R. Stephen Flynn, president of the Optical Gaging Products (OGP) division of QVI. “It extends the speed and versatility of products we offer to our customers worldwide."

Pierre Aubrey, president of ShapeGrabber, said, "We're very excited to be joining the QVI team. As a member of the QVI family, we will be able to advance the performance and capabilities of our products by leveraging QVI's engineering and manufacturing expertise. We will also be able to extend the reach of our scanners through QVI's global sales and support network of metrology experts."

Source: Quality Vision Int’l