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industry news
william hughes meets automotive demands following investment in bulgaria plant
William Hughes has made a major investment in robotic welding cells and associated tooling and fixtures at its plant in Bulgaria. The investment is in reaction to the ramp up in popularity for a recently released sports utility vehicle (SUV). The vehicle is available with multiple seating configurations, so the demand for seating frames and hardware has seen commensurate growth. Ben Cox, manager of William Hughes Bulgaria, said: “The output for the various seating modules and formats
is now about 30% higher than the original anticipated peak production plan. And with the automotive industry relying on just-in-time delivery for primary modules, such as seating, we knew that we had to pull out all the stops to ensure our tier-one customer would not disrupt production.” He added: “The new welding cells, Fanuc robots and additional tooling
have enabled us to meet our delivery quotas for this model and, indeed, other projects in the future.”
www.wmhughes.co.uk
The KA PCB ConneCTor – A Ko for hArsh environmenTs
Building on years of experience in extreme environmental conditions, KA is the latest Printed Circuit Board (PCB) series from Smiths Interconnect. Using the Hypertac hyperboloid contact for immunity to fretting
under shock and vibration, the range offers connectors with from 17 to 490 contacts in 2, 3, 4 or 5 rows. Contacts are centred at 0.1” (2.54mm) pitch, rated at 4 amps with individual contacts rated at up to 9 amps. Additional benefits of the
Hyperboloid contact design include low insert and extraction forces, making it easy to press in and release the board, and a very high 100,000 insertion/ extraction cycles due to the smooth and light wiping action. Pin and socket gold-plated contacts offer termination options including
straight dip, right angle solder, crimp, solder cup or wire wrap. The KA connector system meets the shock and vibration requirements
of MIL-DTL-55302 and offering temperature rating -55˚ to 125˚C. Smiths Interconnect PCB connectors have been delivering high
performance and ultra-reliable connection in avionics, communications, process control and for many other applications in aircraft, marine, land vehicle and sea-bed environments for decades. The KA Series continues this excellent service.
www.aerco.co.uk www.b9c.com
b9Creations partners with researChers to 3d print robotiC skin with abilities beyond those of human skin
Researchers are leveraging B9Creations 3D printing technology to create an adaptive robotic skin that possesses both high sensitivity and wide bandwidth, as well as an enhanced pressure- sensing ability that goes beyond that of human skin. Compared to human skin, its thin-film
pressure sensors can sense pressure that is 97% lower than the minimum detectable pressure and 262.5% higher than the maximum detectable pressure. As a result, these pressure sensors can overcome the challenges associated with other methods’ tradeoffs between sensitivity and bandwidth, and the previous inability to manufacture highly uniform sensors. This unique sensing capability provides opportunities for augmented sensing in robotics, healthcare, and beyond. The adaptive robotic skin consists of several components, including a
microfluidic thermal actuator, an elastomeric enclosure, and an array of thin-film pressure sensors that have high uniformity between devices, as well as a wide range of sensitivity and bandwidth. The microfluidic thermal actuator was constructed by bonding two layers, one with a fluidic channel and another with a flat surface. The mould for the fluidic layer was created using a B9 Core Series 3D printer to achieve the desired channel pattern. The potential of robotic skin has the power to transform various industries:
• Prosthetics: Adaptive robotic skin can be used to create more sensitive and flexible prosthetic limbs, enabling the sensing of pressure, temperature, and other physical sensations, improving the user’s experience and control.
• Robotics & Automation: The sensitive and flexible nature of robotic skin can be applied to robotic grippers and manipulators, enabling the handling of delicate objects and working more safely around humans. It can be used in industrial robots to help them navigate their environment more effectively and safely, as well as to detect damage, allowing humans to perform maintenance and critical repairs.
• Wearable Technology: Robotic skin can be used to create wearable devices that can monitor a person's vital signs, such as heart rate and breathing, in real time.
• Healthcare: Robotic skin can be used in several healthcare applications, such as pressure mapping for bedridden patients to prevent bedsores and detecting pressure points in wheelchairs, etc.
• Virtual Reality and Gaming: Robotic skin could be used in virtual reality or gaming to provide more realistic haptic feedback and increase immersion.
• Human-Machine Interfaces: Adaptive robotic skin can be integrated with human-machine interfaces to create a seamless connection between humans and machines.
• Environmental Monitoring: Robotic skin can be used to monitor environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity and air quality in real time, providing valuable data for scientific research and environmental management.
1 DESIGN SOLUTIONS september 2023 0
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