In med-tech, using materials that are similar to biological tissue will enable robots to perform tasks that rigid systems cannot. Designers and manufacturers developing advanced robotic products and applications are most excited about new materials but believe delays in the material supply chain could hinder progress.
These insights are revealed in a new report from digital manufacturing experts, Protolabs, based on a survey of key players in robotics, and contributions from industry experts. The 2023 Robotics Manufacturing Status Report provides an engineer’s guide to the latest status and future trends in hardware, materials and innovation in robotics manufacturing.
The survey revealed that almost one third (32%) of robotics industry experts believe that soft robotics and new materials will have the biggest impact on how robotics manufacturing will develop in the next five years. Meanwhile, more than one quarter (29%) see the material supply chain as the most serious barrier to progress.
The report examines the increasing use of robotic manufacturing in Industry 4.0 and how new robotic hardware and software will solve tasks in uncontrolled and hostile environments. Soft robotics, such as grippers that enable robots to perform more logistical tasks, is expecting a compound annual growth rate of 35.1% between 2022 and 2027 with biomedicine set to benefit.
Digital manufacturing is crucial to the development of products and survey respondents noted the importance of sustainability and speed working on fresh applications. Using new materials and technology requires several iterations for testing and refinement, so the faster the development cycle, the better. 3D printing, CNC machining and injection moulding uses data to help manufacturers make the right design and production choices to prototype and test faster.