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Lending a Hand—Literally

I love it when stuff like this comes across my desk. A number of industry manufacturers’ and suppliers’ products had a “hand” in developing the world’s most advanced commercially available myoelectric prosthetic hand currently on the market, which is transforming the lives of amputees worldwide—helping them to regain independence and control in their everyday lives. I can’t think of a better cause for so many moldmaking manufacturers and suppliers to work “hand-in-hand” on!

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I love it when stuff like this comes across my desk. CAD/CAM manufacturer Vero Software’s VISI package played a vital role in helping a precision engineering company develop the world’s most advanced commercially available myoelectric prosthetic hand currently on the market.

Prosthetics specialists RSLSteeper approached Delta Tooling (Horsham) Ltd two years ago to assist in the manufacture of the bebionic3 prosthetic hand, which is transforming the lives of amputees worldwide—helping them to regain independence and control in their everyday lives.

The bebionic3 uses leading-edge technology to trigger one of 14 programmed grips, perfectly mirroring human movements—allowing the user to carry out everyday tasks such as using a computer keyboard, tying shoelaces and chopping vegetables.

Delta Tooling manufactures five parts for the hand, including the aluminium knuckle, the plastic sub-section it connects to and a complex thumb bracket that allows the opposable thumb to rotate and move backwards and forwards.

The initial 3 + 2 machining was carried out on Delta Tooling’s range of DMGs and Bridgeports, which were programmed extremely effectively with VISI. As the project grew more complex, the company nvested in an AgieCharmilles Mikron UCP 800 Duro and updated its machining software to the latest 5-axis release of VISI 20.

 

 

I can’t think of a better cause for so many moldmaking manufacturers and suppliers to work “hand-in-hand” on!