UBC researcher Carlos Gerardo shows new the ultrasound transducer. Photo credit: Clare Kiernan, University of British Columbia

Engineers at the University of British Columbia have developed a new ultrasound transducer, or probe, that could dramatically lower the cost of ultrasound scanners to as little as $100. Their patent-pending innovation – no bigger than a Band-Aid – is portable, wearable, and can be powered by a smartphone.

Conventional ultrasound scanners use piezoelectric crystals to create images of the inside of the body and send them to a computer to create sonograms. Researchers replaced the piezoelectric crystals with tiny vibrating drums made of polymer resin, called polyCMUTs (polymer capacitive micro-machined ultrasound transducers), which are less expensive to manufacture.

“Transducer drums have typically been made out of rigid silicon materials that require costly, environment-controlled manufacturing processes, and this has hampered their use in ultrasound,” says study lead author Carlos Gerardo, a PhD candidate in electrical and computer engineering at UBC. “By using polymer resin, we were able to produce polyCMUTs in fewer fabrication steps, using a minimum amount of equipment, resulting in significant cost savings.”

Sonograms produced by the UBC device were as sharp as or even more detailed than traditional sonograms produced by piezoelectric transducers, notes co-author Edmond Cretu, professor of electrical and computer engineering.

“Since our transducer needs just 10V to operate, it can be powered by a smartphone, making it suitable for use in remote or low-power locations,” he adds. “And unlike rigid ultrasound probes, our transducer has the potential to be built into a flexible material that can be wrapped around the body for easier scanning and more detailed views – without dramatically increasing costs.”

Co-author Robert Rohling, also a professor of electrical and computer engineering, says the next step in the research is to develop a wide range of prototypes and eventually test their device in clinical applications.

“You could miniaturize these transducers and use them to look inside your arteries and veins. You could stick them on your chest and do live continuous monitoring of your heart in your daily life. It opens up so many different possibilities,” Rohling says.

Morgan’s Braze Alloys business manufactures braze alloys in configurations that are specific to customers’ requirements as many assemblies made using Morgan materials are designed to tight specifications, while the alloys themselves can be developed to suit requirements.

Many applications of braze alloys are used in research and development projects and information and data is needed quickly for small-run orders. To facilitate this urgency from contract braze houses, Morgan has created a dedicated resource to handle these inquiries, while reducing lead times on commonly used alloys – the FTSE 250 company.

FTSE 250 can provide precious and non-precious braze alloys, pre-sintered preforms (PSPs), and braze inhibitors like Stopyt, that prevent the unwanted flow of molten brazing filler metals.

“One of Morgan’s strongest competencies is its superior materials research and development. This is a key reason for why our braze alloys are so popular and trusted,” notes Adam Ebert, business development manager at Morgan’s Braze Alloys Business.

“We’re keen to continue delivering our knowledge and our braze alloys in as quick a timeframe as possible. This has seen us reduce our lead times on some of the most common braze alloy products, including our popular Nioro alloys, as well as gold-copper alloys and copper-silver alloys. We’re now aiming for a three-day turnaround on any product across the whole of the U.S.”

Central to the continued development of Morgan’s braze alloys offering is its Metals and Joining Center of Excellence (CoE), located in Hayward, California. The facility, launched in October 2017, is focused on delivering new material science and process solutions.

McLean, Virginia – Manufacturing technology orders posted an unexpected surge in August, climbing 28% compared to August 2017 and bringing the year-to-date growth rate to 23% for 2018. The latest U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders Report from AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology showed that orders totaled $501 million for the month, up 26% from July and the largest August order level in the USMTO program’s history.

“Orders of a half-billion dollars in August were a major surprise, particularly as it occurred in the weeks immediately preceding the most successful IMTS ever produced,” says AMT President Douglas K. Woods. “The current acceleration in manufacturing is illustrated in the continued growth of backlog for durable goods. The only way to address that trend is to put more people and equipment in place. Therefore, there was no typical summer pause usually associated with August, as manufacturers have a need to increase capacity now.”

Trade issues and supply chain delays are certain to have an impact on the equipment market headed into the fall. AMT supports a quick and fair conclusion to the issues with our trading partners as exports are important to all manufacturers, and in the case of our members, represent more than a third of their annual output.

The only region to show a month-over-month decline in August was the Northeast, where aerospace orders were off from both June and July. The North Central-West posted the most significant increase, up 80%, a result of consolidations in the medical equipment industry that boosted capital spending. That industry’s spending also benefited the North Central-East by offsetting declining orders from the construction and power generation equipment industries, yielding a modest 2% increase in August.  The strongest customer industry in August was the job shop sector, which had the largest dollar volume growth and was 57% larger than in July.

The key indicators that AMT tracks relative to manufacturing technology orders continue to point to further expansion. The Purchasing Managers’ Index dipped in July only to jump to a new high in August, climbing past 61 and suggesting not only expansion but an acceleration in that growth rate. Durable goods orders were over $259 billion in August, the second largest monthly total since the series began in 1992.  The durable goods order rate continues to outpace shipments, leading to a steady increase in unfilled orders. The continued growth in durable manufacturing capacity utilization is the result of these trends in orders, shipments and backlogs and point to the need for additional capacity to address the growth in demand for manufactured products.

Waunakee, Wisconsin – Tormach Inc. has donated a new PCNC 440 CNC Mill to support education and the next generation of manufacturers. The mill package, valued at $20,000, is being raffled off with all proceeds going to support the National Robotics League, the National Tooling and Machining Association’s (NTMA) job-driven, project-based STEM learning experience to close the skills gap and promote pathways to careers in manufacturing.

“This donation from Tormach supports a lot of things we care deeply about, including education, STEM, workforce development, and manufacturing,” says Lori Morrison Bufalo, marketing director at Tormach. “The goal is to have the machine placed in a school by the raffle winner where it will be used to help students learn CNC machining and to prepare for careers in manufacturing.  We encourage individuals and companies to purchase raffle tickets at. Support your local schools, purchase tickets, and maybe you’ll win a free Tormach CNC Mill for one!”

The PCNC 440 is a benchtop mill from Tormach that features the precision and power of an industry-level mill.  It features a cast iron frame and table, dovetail ways, ball screws, and a 10,000rpm R8 spindle.  It features a small footprint of 10" x 6.25" x 10", making it ideal for small spaces. It also features Tormach’s PathPilot next-generation control platform, featuring professional-level machine control with a user-friendly and intuitive operator interface.  The machine being donated cuts materials ranging from plastic composites to titanium and comes with free lifetime technical support. 

Raffle details
Tickets are available for $100 each or 3 for $250.00 and can be purchased online. The drawing will take place at the NTMA Fall Conference on Oct. 24, 2018, at 7pm. The raffle winner does not need to be present to win and will not be responsible for any taxes if the prize is donated directly to a school or qualified youth organization.