Welcome to Tech Trends Bits! This is the section of AMT News where I pull the interesting articles from Tech Trends, one of the MTInsight apps that every member can access! Tech Trends is an aggregate of news, research, and industrial roadmaps to track the latest transformative technologies. Along with my short blurb, you’ll find a bitly link that will take you directly to the article in reference! TECHNOLOGY! Let’s take a look at a few things you may have missed in the past month or so…
HOW IS CNC MACHINING CHANGING THE FACE OF THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY?
It doesn’t matter if a manufacturing company has been around for decades or just opened its doors; staying on top of technologies and production operations is critical to maintain business effectiveness. This article is an excellent source to bring you up to speed on the various types of CNC machines available as well as the future of CNC going digital. This also includes a list of answers to the above question
CAN BOSTON DYNAMICS’ SPOT ROBOT FIND COMMERCIAL NICHE?
Yeah, so you know that company that’s been creeping people out on social media and other corners of the internet with their Terminator-esque robot videos? The robots are incredibly lifelike in their movement and bipedal and quadrupedal balance (they have legs and know how to use them). Some might say the robots are perfect for a sci-fi or horror flick. Well, now the company is trying to sell one model of their robots, and here’s how they are marketing its’ use cases
CHINA’S ROBOTICS INDUSTRY IS TOO RELIANT ON SUBSIDIES, SAYS EXPERT
According to Sinolink Securities, 20 percent of the Chinese domestic robotic industry’s net profit comes from subsidies. Problem is, this reliance on subsidies is causing a surplus of parts, driving down the profit margin in robotics, says this Nanjing University professor
IS 3D PRINTING THE FUTURE FOR MEAT ALTERNATIVES?
When it comes to additively produced food, think about it: something like a cheese pizza is totally viable (unless you’re from New York—then fuhgeddaboudit). But meat? Please, no. Anyway, everybody’s favorite manufacturing technology trend has been employed by an Israeli company, Redefine Meat, to “create finished food by ‘additive manufacturing’—atom-by-atom or ingredient-by-ingredient layering of an object based on a digital file.” Okay
MARKFORGED MAKES INCONEL 625 AVAILABLE ON METAL X 3D PRINTING PLATFORM
Markforged is a cool company. They’ve become popular for their machines that make parts out of carbon fiber with additive. There’s at least a handful of us here at AMT with a Markforged carbon fiber keychain. Anyway, they’ve started dabbling in another cool material: Inconel 625. Ever heard of it? Inconel 625 has been around since the ‘60s, but, like titanium, it’s a pain to work with. However, thanks to modern manufacturing tech, Inconel 625 parts such as turbo and exhaust system components for high performance automotive applications have been trickling into consumer hands
TOP 6 BUSINESS TAKEAWAYS FROM ROBOBUSINESS 2019
RoboBusiness is an annual conference that draws a wide range of robotic technology developers, engineers, investors, and eager startups to Santa Clara, Calif. If you’re like me and missed out on this conference, here’s a fantastic six-point rundown of what went on.
