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Using 3D Printing Technology in Low-Cost Prosthetics

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Using 3D Printing Technology in Low-Cost Prosthetics

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Sobrino, et al. 2018 Scholarly
I know that this article is scholarly because it contains an organizational method commonly associated with a scholarly piece. (An abstract, methodology, discussions, etc.)
Additionally, this piece contains jargon and concepts that the common person may not have spent time researching, making this article a difficult read for someone outside of the profession.
This article details how the prosthetics industry is making use of thermoplastic materials to 3D print artificial limbs for a low-cost alternative to typical hard plastic or metal pieces that are used.

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The 3D printing technology used for final production of upper limb prostheses is the topicof this article. It focuses on different 3D printing technologies and testing of different thermoplasticmaterials. As the testing object an index finger of HACKberry open source myoelectric bionic handwas used. This part was 3D printed by using of different printing technologies (FFF/FDM, SLA, SLS,PolyJet), and different materials (PLA, ABS, PC-ABS, Though, etc.), and different strategies (heightof layers). The fingers were mechanically tested to simulate flexion in a tip pinch grip. At the endof this paper results of this research and testing is summarized, and optimal material, technology andstrategies of parts production is highlighted.

[1] Enable Community Foundation. Enable Community Foundation. Online. Comunity focused on using of 3D printing technology used in upper limb prosthesis. 2017. URL: http: /www. enablecommunityfoundation. org/ (visited on 01/23/2017).

[2] exiii. HACKberry Open Source Community. online. Japan company offered as open source its model of prosthetic bionic hand. The body of the hand is 3D printed. 2017. URL: http: /exiii-hackberry. com/ (visited on 01/23/2017).

[3] T. Feix et al. TheGRASP Taxonomy ofHumanGrasp Types,. In: IEEE Transactions onHumanMachine Systems 46. 1 (Feb. 2016), pp.66-77. ISSN: 2168-2291. DOI: 10. 1109/THMS. 2015. 2470657.

[4] Jan Koprnický, Petr Najman, and Jiří Šafka. 3D printed bionic prosthetic hands,. In: 2017 IEEE International Workshop of Electronics, Control, Measurement, Signals and their Application to Mechatronics (ECMSM). Donostia - San Sebastian: IEEE, May 2017, pp.1-6.

DOI: 10.1109/ecmsm.2017.7945898

[5] My Human Kit. My Human Kit - DIY and Digital Fabrication for humans, both disabled or not. online. My Human Kit Maison des associations 6 cours des Alliés 35000 Rennes 0768 328 321 Organization focused on DIY solution for helping disabled persons with different problems: Gant Sonar, Ressenti sonore, Bionicohand, Print My Leg, Binoreille) French guy realizes many open source projects from the field of prosthetic hands. Very nice tutorial from FabLab Berlin where he produced exiii bionic hand. 2017. URL: http: /myhumankit. org/en/home- 2/ (visited on 01/23/2017).

[6] Open Bionics. Open Bionics. online. 2017. URL: https: /www. openbionics. com/ (visited on 01/23/2017).

[7] RepRap. org. RepRap - RepRapWiki. Ed. by RepRap Comunity. Oct. 2017. URL: http: /reprap. org.

[8] G. Smit, D. H. Plettenburg, and F. C. T. van der Helm. The Lightweight Delft Cylinder Hand: First Multi-Articulating Hand That Meets the Basic User Requirements,. In: IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering 23. 3 (May 2015), pp.431-440.

DOI: 10.1109/tnsre.2014.2342158

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Using of 3D Printing Technology in Low Cost Prosthetics | Scientific.Net

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The 3D printing technology used for final production of upper limb prostheses is the topicof this article. It focuses on different 3D printing technologies and testing of different thermoplasticmaterials. As the testing object an index finger of HACKberry open source myoelectric bionic handwas used.

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Although CAD software is used every day in numerous engineering/building-centered jobs, I struggle to find resources on evolutions in CAD software that are more relevant than in 2017. This is strange to me as developers/technicians are always finding new ways to use the software to build bigger and better technology.

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I cannot find valid information that any type of competition exists between countries. There is a possibility that individual companies could gatekeep their methods, but this is not driven at the larger scale.

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How CAD Has Evolved Since 1982 - Past, Present & Future

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How CAD Has Evolved Since 1982 - Past, Present & Future

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Bethany 2017 - Popular
I know that this source is popular because the website it is written for contains a ".com" this insinuates that any person, from anywhere in the world, could access this piece of information and likely understand all of the material fairly easily.
This article further details the changes CAD software has made over the past several decades. I included this article in addition to the previous because this article is newer which allows for more updated information.

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Scan2CAD has put together a complete guide covering the beginnings of CAD in the 1950s, how CAD evolved after 1982, and what the future might hold for CAD.

Table of Contents

CAD Before 1982

The Beginning of CAD

During World War II, computing underwent a lot of development. Patrick Hanratty, "the father of CAD/CAM", developed PRONTO (Program for Numerical Tooling Operations) the first CNC programming system, in 1957. In fact, some industry analysts estimate that 70% of all 3D mechanical CAD/CAM systems available today can trace their roots back to Hanratty's original code.

In this video we're introduced to Ivan Sutherland's Sketchpad

Setting The Stage For Large-Scale Adoption

The emergence of UNIX workstations in the 1980s truly revolutionized the computing and CAD markets. A mere decade or two earlier, CAD software was a proprietary tool for heavy industries. By the 1980s, however, commercial CAD systems began to appear in the aerospace, automotive and shipbuilding industries. It was the introduction of the first IBM PC in 1981 that truly marked the beginning of the large-scale adoption of CAD.

The same year saw the release of two solid modeling packages, Romulus and Uni-Solid, both of which enabled users to see exactly what their design would look like in real life.

The following year marked an even bigger milestone in CAD history-the founding of Autodesk and subsequent release of AutoCAD, the first significant CAD program for the IBM PC. It was a huge success for Autodesk, with AutoCAD winning "The Best CAD Product" award from PC World magazine in 1986 and continuing to do so for the next 10 years. From this point on, increasingly advanced drafting and engineering functionality became more affordable.

For more information, check out A Brief History of AutoCAD.

The CAD Revolution

The end of the 1980s brought about the struggle between 3D CAD software developers, all trying to match Pro/ENGINEER's user interface and capabilities. This paved the way for 3D solid modeling kernels, like Parasolid and ACIS, which were later integrated into new parametric CAD programs. Parasolid was developed by Shape Data Limited for other companies to license for use in their own 3D CAD products. ACIS, developed by Spatial, was sold to many 3D CAD software vendors-most notably AutoCAD, who licensed the kernel in 1990.

The 1990s: PCs, PLM and the Internet

By the 1990s, the PC was finally capable of the computations that 3D CAD required. This led to turmoil for the UNIX workstations. While many users required the CPU power provided by UNIX workstations, many were far more satisfied with the performance of PCs. This move from UNIX to PC was transformational. CAD software slowly started to become accessible to millions of engineers and consumers who previously couldn't afford the technology.

In 1995, the first significant modeler for Windows was released- SolidWorks. It was so successful that after just 2 years, Dassault Systèmes acquired it in 1997 for $320 million. Solid Edge, a program based on ACIS, was released later that year. The following year saw the release of Autodesk's Mechanical Desktop-their first 3D solid modeling product-which quickly became the number one selling 3D CAD software in the world. Autodesk continued their success with their release of Autodesk Inventor in 1999.
Fun fact: Did you know that Scan2CAD was founded in 1996? To find out more, check out the History of Scan2CAD.
Most 3D CAD programs by the end of the 1990's had reached the same point-all offering similar features. The push for new innovations in the world of 3D CAD finally started to slow down. Instead, interest was now directed at product data management software, which had been successfully used in Boeing's 777 paperless design with CATIA. A great deal of energy was also spent on the struggle to become " Internet-enabled ", with the main focus upon enabling users to view 3D CAD models in web browsers.

The Growth of CAD Software and the Internet

The beginning of the 21st century marked the release of client-side CAD tools and web-enabled CAD. Alibre released Alibre Design in 2000, as the first 3D CAD software able to perform client-server 3D modeling over the Internet. Autodesk subsequently released AutoCAD 2000i, which was their first web-enabled CAD software. Autodesk continued its success into the 21st century with constant updates to its popular AutoCAD product, including tool palettes in 2003, dynamic block functioning in 2005 and support for Macs in 2011.

For a better look at major CAD releases from the 1950s onward, click below.

PDM and PLM

While the last two decades involved the race for innovations in 3D CAD, the beginning of the 21st century brought about a period of sustainability in CAD software. Rather than bring forth new, innovative software, vendors were now interested in product data management ( PDM)-trying to reduce concept, design and manufacturing time. Ford's release of the Ford Mondeo proved this was possible in late 2000. The Ford Mondeo was designed over the Internet using Ford's C3P (CAD/CAM/CAE/PDM) platform, in a third of the time traditionally required. This success proved that the integration of CAD software, PDM and the Internet could give designers and engineers the perfect way to collaborate and create in a time-efficient and convenient manner. Vendors found that using PDM and PLM ( product lifecycle management) would therefore eliminate prolonged development times and increase workflow.

Growth in Technology

In addition, the interaction between human and machine has altered. Typically, designers make use of a computer mouse with CAD programs. However, designers can also make use of a pen and digitizing graphics tablet. Furthermore, there's been a lot of development in the CAD-human interface interaction-from touchscreens to VR/AR. This will be discussed in the CAD and the Future section.

Now, onto the different types of CAD available...

2D CAD Programs

These programs create ' flat' drawings of products or structures. These drawings are made up of lines, circles, curves and so on. The programs will often include libraries of models, Bezier curves, splines and polylines. There are different 'levels' of 2D CAD programs. Some are free and open source; typically these programs are more simplistic, without the difficulties of scaling or placements. Examples of 2D CAD freeware include QCAD and LibreCAD.

There are of course, the more complex 'high-end' programs-the most recognizable of which is AutoCAD.

3D CAD Programs

3D CAD systems essentially create a realistic model of what your design may look like in the real world. They're useful for aiding designers in finding flaws that they might have otherwise missed. These programs can be split into two types: parametric modelers and direct/explicit modelers. There is 3D wireframe and the incorporation of 3D 'dumb' solids into programs like AutoCAD-you can learn more about that here.

Direct or explicit modeling gives designers the ability to edit geometry without a history tree. Essentially, designers can quickly create 3D designs which they can then modify through direct interactions with the model geometry.

Some popular 3D CAD programs include Autodesk Inventor, SolidWorks and PTC Creo.

The availability of CAD in the 21st century was undoubtedly aided by the trend of cloud-based CAD. It was first mentioned by a major company in 2010, when SolidWorks featured it at their World 2010 event. It then took a several years for cloud-based CAD to become a mainstream topic in the CAD industry. This trend has since helped to change the way the entire CAD industry works. With cloud-based CAD, designers across the world can simultaneously work on a CAD model. Autodesk jumped on board this trend with their release of Fusion 360 in 2013. This was closely followed by Onshape 's eponymous product in 2015.

The availability brought about by the Internet and cloud-based CAD led to the spread in use of CAD software across industries. Originally, CAD was predominantly used in heavy industries alone. Nowadays, however, you would struggle to find an industry that doesn't use it. Check out a few examples of industries using CAD below:

Mechanical engineering

AEC sector

Aerospace

Fashion

Industrial design

Entertainment

Computer Graphic Animation (CGA)

Civil Engineering

Machinery

Medicine

This rise in use of CAD has increased over the years. In fact, virtually no product today is created without the use of CAD software-through design, simulation and manufacturing. CAD's importance also brought about the breach of CAD skills into the career sector. If you're in any design sector, you'll see many advertised jobs that require CAD skills. Skills in many different CAD programs are highly valued, be it in AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Revit, or one of the myriad of available programs. For more information, check out AutoCAD careers or Freelance CAD.

Still not sure how CAD has managed to evolve with the times? Check out its pros and cons below.

Pros

Quicker design processes. Designers can create prototypes in mere hours-manufacturing can follow soon after.

Cost effective. There's no need to manufacture physical prototypes when you can use CAD to create hundreds of prototypes that can be improved upon without any cost.

Ease of use. CAD programs can be easy to pick up on, and they allow for repeated designs and 2D or 3D drawings.

No restrictions. With how sophisticated and complex some CAD programs have become, design is slowly becoming limitless.

Cons

Software can be expensive. Buying a CAD program can set you back a lot. Of course, your budget depends on whether you're a hobbyist or you're running an entire business.

Training can be expensive. If you're running a business, you won't want to fork out for staff training for a particular CAD program.

Errors are still possible. Despite how much CAD has evolved and how sophisticated many programs are, it's still possible to make errors.

So far we've managed to discuss the history of CAD, where it originated and how it progressed. We've even looked at the evolution of the technology and industries using it. But what exactly does the future hold for CAD? Check out the main trends that are set to explode in the next decade below.

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality

Augmented Reality is technology that allows real-time visualization of CAD models in the real-world environment. Current AR software makes use of devices like smartphones or tablets-capturing the surroundings with a camera and placing a digital effect over it to view the model. Past successes in AR include Pokémon Go-the trend that took everyone by surprise. AR has many applications for CAD, like allowing designers to view their CAD models from different angles before they're even produced. Companies like Augment have created apps that allow designers to view their 3D models from SketchUp, Revit, SolidWorks and other CAD software-see it in action below.

Virtual Reality, by comparison, immerses a user in a simulated world using a headset. It has been extremely useful in the gaming community, with products like Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR and Samsung VR. It's also been useful in CAD, allowing designers to interact with models directly. Companies like Virtalis and Mindesk are working with CAD companies like Autodesk and SolidWorks to integrate VR into their software offerings. Autodesk is also looking to make its software compatible with Microsoft's VR product HoloLens, which will have an exciting impact on CAD.

Of course, VR/AR has many steps to take before it's perfect. One of the main issues with this technology is the need for headsets, which aren't very practical or appealing to the consumer market.

Cloud in the Future

Generative Design

A major upcoming trend in CAD is the concept of CAD technology being able to ' think'-anticipating a designer's next move and making a reciprocating move accordingly. This is otherwise known as ' Generative Design'. Designers will soon be able to choose the best design solution by working alongside computers to create an ideal design. Autodesk is currently working on Dream Catcher -a program that can generate hundreds of unique designs in hours, as opposed to the days it can take a human to create a single design. This will surely have a huge impact on the CAD industry in the coming years.

Other Possibilities

Many anticipate a fully immersive 3D experience with CAD in the future. This may include modeling tools like special gloves and goggles (as opposed to headsets), making the process closer to sculpting than painting. There's also the possibility of bringing voice commands into the fold. This would enable designers to draw and control CAD with their own voice. Of course, CAD requires a lot of precision, so a lot of work needs to be done to ensure that designers have the maximum accuracy required-whether it's for touchscreen technology or voice commands. Essentially, the most important aspects of future CAD technology and software are ease and speed-it's all about making the design process fast, efficient and convenient.

CAD has grown and changed radically over the years-and will only continue to do so with time.
Want to stay updated on all the latest developments in CAD and beyond? Check out Scan2CAD's blog, covering everything from How Multicolor 3D Printing Works to CAD Freeware.

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How CAD Has Evolved Since 1982 - Past, Present & Future | Scan2CAD

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Scan2CAD has put together a complete guide covering the beginnings of CAD in the 1950s, how CAD evolved after 1982, and what the future might hold for CAD. During World War II, computing underwent a lot of development. Patrick Hanratty, "the father of CAD/CAM", developed PRONTO (Program for Numerical Tooling Operations) the first CNC programming system, in 1957.

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- obviously many people are uneducated about how prosthetics operate and what type of support they offer.
- An athlete was almost kicked out of the Olympics before the committee realized prosthetics did not make a bionic human (before the Para-Olympics)

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The Unfair Advantage: Prosthetics and Their Role in the Olympics

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The Unfair Advantage: Prosthetics and Their Role in the Olympics

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Schoolman 2019 - Trade
I know that this is a Trade source because the article contains jargon and acronyms that the layman may have to spend time researching to fully grasp, however, the article is still readable to someone with basic knowledge of the topic.

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In 2012, the "Blade Runner" Oscar Pistorius became the first double amputee to compete in the Olympics. Ever since this historic occasion, the issue of whether prosthetics should be allowed in athletics has been a topic of controversy in the media. Do prosthetics give amputees an advantage over able-bodied athletes? Are athletes with prosthetics capable of running faster and performing better than able-bodied athletes?

In a recent article, physiology and biomechanics professor Alena Grabowski attempts to answer some of these questions. Grabowski was part of a research group that conducted a study to see if Pistorius's prosthetics gave him any advantages after he was banned from competing in the 2008 Olympics. The group focused on comparing the abilities of Pistorius to those of able-bodied track athletes. The study involved testing Pistorius' energy cost in running, his endurance, and his general running mechanics. In order to test for energy costs, the researchers measured breathing and metabolic rates of able-bodied runners who were similar in ability to Pistorius as they ran a series of short sprints. To test endurance, runners were placed on treadmills set at their max speed to measure how long they could maintain that speed. To test the running mechanics, each runner was asked to continue increasing their speed on a treadmill until they could no longer take eight consecutive strides on the treadmill without maintaining their position on the treadmill. Based on the study, the group was able to determine that Pistorius' running abilities are very similar to able-bodied runners, thus allowing his ban to be lifted and for him to ultimately compete in the 2012 Olympics.

After the initial research, Grabowski decided to conduct research of her own into prosthetics. Her study involved how changing key parameters in a prosthetic affected a runner's abilities. In order to conduct the tests, she first modeled the foot as a spring system. This allowed her to pick the key parameters to change: stiffness, height, and speed of a prosthetic. Five participants were chosen to be tested. The study consisted of a participant using a set prosthetic to run on a treadmill, increasing the speed on each trial until they could no longer hold their position in the treadmill. This was repeated for different parameter changes in the prosthetics until enough data was collected to compare. From her study, Grabowski found that the length of the prosthetic had no overall effect on running speed. However, stiffness did appear to aid runners, but the effects were negligible at high running speeds. Thus, the advantages of having prosthetics come into play more for long distance running than for sprints. Based on her research finding, Grabowski hopes that future prosthetic development can be more tailored to match the specific wearers abilities before amputation.

The world of prosthetics opens up the door for many amputees to compete in an able-bodied society: from being able to complete just simple day-to-day tasks to competing alongside able-bodied athletes in the Olympics. Though many may still be skeptical of the use of prosthetics in competition-namely running, the evidence says that the effects are minimal or even no-existent in the case of sprinters. With the help of researchers like Alena Grabowski, more athletes like Oscar Pistorius are and hopefully will be making great strides in the future.

For more information on this story, make sure to read The Daily Beast, Scientific American, and The New York Times.

Featured image by Pexels under Pixabay License

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The Unfair Advantage: Prosthetics and Their Role in the Olympics

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In 2012, the "Blade Runner" Oscar Pistorius became the first double amputee to compete in the Olympics. Ever since this historic occasion, the issue of whether prosthetics should be allowed in athletics has been a topic of controversy in the media. Do prosthetics give amputees an advantage over able-bodied athletes?

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Student Engineers Design, Build Low-Cost Prosthetics 

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Student Engineers Design, Build Low-Cost Prosthetics 

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University of Akron News 2015 - Trade
I know that this is a Trade source because the article contains jargon and acronyms that the layman may have to spend time researching to fully grasp, however, the article is still readable to someone with basic knowledge of the topic.

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Two teams of biomedical engineering students who just finished their freshman year at The University of Akron will travel to El Paso, Texas, to compete in the LIMBS International competition on Friday, June 5.
Biomedical engineering students Audrey Braun, left, and Lindsay Jaros display their low-cost prosthetic designed for the LIMBS International competition.

LIMBS International is an annual student design competition with the goal to design, develop and test highly functional, durable and low-cost prosthetic devices for amputees in developing nations. Student teams are charged with clearly defining a problem and the need for a solution, then working to tackle the issue.

Teammates Audrey Braun of Sandusky, Ohio, and Lindsay Jaros of Leavittsburg, Ohio, have designed an easily replicated prosthetic leg made of low-cost, readily available materials, including PVC and bicycle parts. Stress testing done in a biomedical engineering lab shows the prosthetic can currently hold at least 750 pounds.

The second team participating in the LIMBS competition is tackling another problem - the potentially frequent resizing of prosthetics required by amputees, which is both costly and unrealistic in developing nations where the nearest medical facility may be more than 200 miles away.
Biomedical engineering student Stephen Conklin demonstrates his team's project for the LIMBS International competition.

Stephen Conklin of Montville, Ohio, Nolyn Martz of Hudson, Ohio, Travis Pero of Norton, Ohio, and Logan Belew of East Canton, Ohio have developed an inexpensive system for adjusting the fitting of a prosthetic appendage.

The team's concept is to use polycaprolactone (PCL), a biodegradable polymer with a low melting point, to fill in the gaps created by changes to the amputees remaining limb as muscles deteriorate and other physical changes take place over time. The small, beadlike pieces of PCL are placed between the outside wall of the prosthetic and the inner lining. Then the prosthetic, which has a heating element coiled within it, is attached to an outlet that slowly heats up and melts the PLC to the necessary shape.

The students will present their projects and take questions from their peers during the 3 rd annual LIMBS Summit presented by LIMBS International in cooperation with The University of Texas at El Paso-College of Engineering.

Media contact: Denise Henry, 330-972-6477 or henryd@uakron.edu.

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Student engineers design, build low-cost prosthetics | The University of Akron, Ohio

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Two teams of biomedical engineering students who just finished their freshman year at The University of Akron will travel to El Paso, Texas, to compete in the LIMBS International competition on Friday, June 5. Biomedical engineering students Audrey Braun, left, and Lindsay Jaros display their low-cost prosthetic designed for the LIMBS International competition.

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Vyas 2016 - Popular
I know that this source is popular because the website it is written for contains a ".com" this insinuates that any person, from anywhere in the world, could access this piece of information and likely understand all of the material fairly easily.
This article details why SolidWorks (a CAD software) is generally preferred in the industry over other software systems. Considering this article is relatively new, I found it to be pretty accurate and telling of why SolidWorks is generally preferred.

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Globally, manufacturers of consumer products, industrial equipment, automotive parts and construction equipment rely on SolidWorks intuitive CAD modeling and virtual prototyping capabilities.
From conceptual modeling, 2D drawings and detailed 3D modeling to design automation, animation and manufacturing documentation, SolidWorks is indeed the first choice of design engineers across the globe. While some manufacturers have their own in-house resources, others prefer to hire SolidWorks certified drafting and modeling professionals, to meet the product development requirements. Either ways, SolidWorks still holds a major share in the CAD market.

A recent 2016 CAD market survey from CNC Cookbook revealed that in the pro CAD market segment, SolidWorks holds 47% market share, far ahead of its competitors like Inventor, Creo or SolidEdge. Such widespread adoption of this tool is invariably due to the Company's genuine focus on improving the productivity and accuracy in product design development. More than 3.1 million product designers and engineers globally use SW to bring their innovative ideas to life and build a better tomorrow.

The significance of SolidWorks however can better be explained through its capabilities and its comparison with one of its closest competitor - Autodesk Inventor. While both these tools have equally good number of 3D capabilities, SW stands apart from the crowd due to its adoption in almost every engineering industry. This 3D modeling tool also supports most of the file formats when compared to Inventor, which again helps designers to collaborate efficiently and convert legacy designs developed on any older CAD platform to 3D model with detailed product manufacturing information (PMI).

Industries like sheet metal fabrication, furniture products, industrial equipment, heavy machinery, medical devices, machine tools and consumer products need qualified SolidWorks drafters and designers to achieve goals of reducing design cycles, cost and faster time-to-market.

Enlisted are the key benefits that make SolidWorks, one of the most popular CAD platforms today:

User-friendly GUI with quick to understand features and utilize them for design development

Shorter learning curve as compared to other leading CAD tools in the market

Parametric and direct modeling capabilities

Test designs, develop renderings and manufacturing documentation under common platform

Automate repetitive design tasks and improve productivity

Design faster with a massive library of CAD models of commonly used parts and components

Smart components and fasteners allowing automatic assembly

Estimate quotes and manufacturing costs in real-time

Develop animations, instruction manuals and catalogs with ease

Implement model based design for paperless manufacturing through SolidWorks MBD

With the launch of SolidWorks 2017, the company has further simplified the design and development process with better user experience, new capabilities for emerging technologies and improvement in keeping the collaboration seamless. Some of the key advancements include improvements modeling with new tools for chamfer, fillet and advanced hole specification. New surfacing features like wrap, drag and drop, emboss and deboss further makes 3D geometry development easy. Magnetic mates is also an important feature available with SolidWorks 2017, which allows designers to easily work with large assemblies by organizing equipment and space, publishing parts and assemblies as assets with connection points to easily drag and drop mating and repositioning models.

SolidWorks stands apart from the horde of CAD tools available today, allowing end customers to keep their product development processes efficient not only for their present requirements but also for future needs.

This is possible through a wide range of capabilities that the tool possesses, which include:

3D Solid and Surface Modeling

Large Assembly Design

Sheet Metal Design

Weldments

Electrical Cable Harness and Conduit Design & Routing

Piping and Tubing Design & Routing

Design Automation and Customization

Model Based Design (MBD)

3D Animation and Rendering

Simulation

Apart from these capabilities, SolidWorks is packed with additional features that allow an engineer as well as a manufacturer to quickly create, validate, communicate and manage the product development process. With advanced CAD capabilities, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing time and cost, as well as improve product quality with the ability to push the product to market faster. Further, SolidWorks also has the ability to automate design through the integrated add-in from DriveWorks, which enables high volume product manufacturers to capture and re-use design knowledge and improve sales.

Working with Certified SolidWorks Professionals

With more than 3.1 million SolidWorks users globally, across different industry verticals, it is fair to say that finding an experienced and knowledgeable SolidWorks designer is difficult. As a manufacturer, if you are looking to hire SolidWorks designers for your product design requirements, it is indeed a good practice to look for certified professionals.

Working with a SolidWorks Certified professional has several benefits. At first, there is a surety that your critical designs are in the hands of a competent professional, who thoroughly understands the software features and functionality. As a client, you can expect more productive output from the designer, due to their proven knowledge in modeling and evaluation techniques.

Design challenges can be addressed better and quickly, allowing you to save more time and cost. There are currently 13 certification exams covering skills from associate to expert and other advanced exams such as weldments, surfacing, sheet metal and drawing tools that specify the skill set of the designer for advanced modeling requirements.

Explore more about how we can help in improving your productivity and profitability through efficient product design, virtual testing and manufacturing support through our experience and expertise in SolidWorks.

About Author: Kashyap Vyas is an Engineer at Hitech and holds a Master's degree in Thermal Engineering with several research papers to his credit. He covers CAD and CAE topics for the engineering industry. His contributions are primarily focused on encouraging manufacturers and suppliers to adopt virtual product development tools to build efficient products with reduced time-to-market.

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Globally, manufacturers of consumer products, industrial equipment, automotive parts and construction equipment rely on SolidWorks intuitive CAD modeling and virtual prototyping capabilities. From conceptual modeling, 2D drawings and detailed 3D modeling to design automation, animation and manufacturing documentation, SolidWorks is indeed the first choice of design engineers across the globe.

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(2001) Popular
Quite old considering how quickly tech is changing, however, contains some good info regarding the origins of CAD software and proves how far we have come in the last 21 years.
I know that this source is popular because the website it is written for contains a ".com" this insinuates that any person, from anywhere in the world, could access this piece of information and likely understand all of the material fairly easily.

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Why do CAD techs choose to use specific software over others? (SolidWorks is extremely popular) Hence, why is SW the "standard"?

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Why do CAD techs choose to use specific software over others? (SolidWorks is extremely popular) Hence, why is SW the "standard"?

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Targeted muscle reinnervation by Dr. Albert Chi

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Targeted muscle reinnervation by Dr. Albert Chi

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Albert Chi, M.D., M.S.E. media kit | OHSU News
Robinson 2018 - Trade
I know that this is a Trade source because the article contains jargon and acronyms that the layman may have to spend time researching to fully grasp, however, the article is still readable to someone with basic knowledge of the topic.

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Albert Chi, M.D., M.S.E., serves as medical director of the OHSU Targeted Muscle Reinnervation program. He is an associate professor of trauma, critical care and acute care surgery in the OHSU School of Medicine. He was raised in Phoenix as the first-generation son of Taiwanese parents. Chi now resides in Portland with his young son. In 2015, he served in Operation Enduring Freedom as a commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve.

Critically injured in a motorcycle accident in 1993, Chi developed an abiding appreciation for the care that he received from the registered nurse who happened across his accident and the clinical team that saved his life. That experience guides the care he provides to patients he sees today as a trauma surgeon at OHSU.

"I think about that day a lot, even in my day-to-day job now," he said. "I remember that fear of going to the trauma bay and hearing people talk about you, not to you. I remember how hard it is to be a patient, so I make a point of connecting with my patients, telling them my name and easing their fears."

Chi earned his master's degree in bioengineering from Arizona State University in 1999 and his M.D. from the University of Arizona in 2003. Prior to coming to OHSU in 2016, Chi was medical director of the Targeted Muscle Reinnervation Program and medical director of the Physician Assistant Surgical Residency Program at Johns Hopkins University, where he continues to hold an appointment with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab.

Targeted muscle reinnervation

Chi has earned a reputation as one of the nation's leading experts on improving the lives of people with traumatic injuries or congenital limb loss. Targeted muscle reinnervation is cutting-edge technology inspired by some of the most memorable works of science fiction. By reassigning existing nerves, Chi can make it possible to control advanced prosthetic devices merely by thinking about the action they want to perform. Funded largely by the U.S. Department of Defense, this research resulted in the modular prosthetic limb used by Chi's patient Johnny Matheny, a Florida resident who lost his left arm to cancer. Chi's goal is to see the technology developed to the point that it becomes more widely available for patients who need it. In 2018, one of Chi's patients received the first LUKE arm, the world's most advanced commercially available prosthetic, covered by private insurance.

Video of Johnny Matheny playing piano

3D-printed prosthetics

Not everyone is a good candidate for targeted muscle reinnervation. For example, the cost can be prohibitively expensive for children who will quickly outgrow them. Chi is the lead clinical investigator for the first U.S. clinical trial of myoelectric arms for children produced with 3D printing technology, with the goal of expanding access and affordability to children with congenital limb loss. These arms operate using a pair of leads placed on the skin, which activate when children flex their muscles. The first phase clinical trial is jointly conducted by OHSU and Limbitless Solutions, a nonprofit organization based at the University of Central Florida.

Philanthropy

Chi was making headlines for his cutting-edge work with targeted muscle reinnervation when he spoke about the latest innovations at a congenital limb-loss conference at Johns Hopkins in 2013. A mother walked up to him after the presentation. "She looked at me and said, 'My son is right here. What can you do for my kid?'" he said. The question prompted him to become involved with the nonprofit Enabling the Future, which builds and distributes low-cost prosthetics using freely distributed designs. Using a 3D printer in his home, Chi has built hundreds of devices for children.

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Albert Chi, M.D., M.S.E., serves as medical director of the OHSU Targeted Muscle Reinnervation program. He is an associate professor of trauma, critical care and acute care surgery in the OHSU School of Medicine. He was raised in Phoenix as the first-generation son of Taiwanese parents.

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Developing a Scalable, Low-Cost Prosthetic Device for Below-Knee Amputations

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Developing a Scalable, Low-Cost Prosthetic Device for Below-Knee Amputations

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Grunbeck, et al. 2020 - Scholarly
I know that this article is scholarly because it contains an organizational method commonly associated with a scholarly piece. (An abstract, methodology, discussions, etc.)
Additionally, this piece contains jargon and concepts that the common person may not have spent time researching, making this article a difficult read for someone outside of the profession.

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Is there currently any competition between countries or regions to build the best limbs or organs?

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Is there currently any competition between countries or regions to build the best limbs or organs?

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How is CAD technology changing to meet the needs of 21st-century clients? 

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How is CAD technology changing to meet the needs of 21st-century clients? 

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Could a "cold war" of prosthetics break out in the Para-Olympics of countries gatekeeping their tech endeavors? 

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Could a "cold war" of prosthetics break out in the Para-Olympics of countries gatekeeping their tech endeavors? 

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Can technology help make prosthetics more widely available, and therefore, more monetarily accessible?

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Can technology help make prosthetics more widely available, and therefore, more monetarily accessible?

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How is evolving technology changing the way engineers produce prosthetics? 

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How is evolving technology changing the way engineers produce prosthetics? 

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Overall impacts:
- Technology is becoming easier to produce for the masses as new materials allow for a lightweight product that is inexpensive and readily available.
- CAD/CAM software has not foundationally changed in the past 40 years. Although some buttons may have changed, the general practice and idea have not.
-Knowledge of disability and prosthetics is not well-taught and therefore, not many people know about the effects/supports prosthetics can give to amputees. I believe the current thought process consists of the general public believing that prosthetics make someone into a superhuman- which is untrue.