ANN ARBOR, MI—Industrial robot orders in 2018 grew 24 percent over the previous year in the life sciences, food and consumer goods, plastics and rubber and electronics industries, according to the Robotics Industries Association. The main reasons are lower robot prices, and robot systems that are easier to install, integrate and program.

BRONX, NY—The Medical Device Innovation, Safety and Security Consortium has announced it is developing a set of recommended practices and profiles for securing medical systems based on the normative requirements in the widely used ISA/IEC 62443 series of standards for industrial automation and control systems cybersecurity.

DEERFIELD, IL—Medical equipment maker Baxter International is expanding its Cleveland, MS, plant, with plans to add 50 to 100 new employees in about two years.

MARLBOROUGH, MA—Boston Scientific Corp. has agreed to buy rival BTG Corp. for $4.2 billion to expand its offering of medical devices to treat cancer and other disorders. Boston Scientific makes stents that hold open damaged blood vessels. BTG makes medical technology for physicians, such as cryoablation products to freeze and destroy diseased cells, and radiotherapy that delivers radiation straight to tumors.

NOTTINGHAM, England—A team of Nottingham Trent University researchers are 3D printing replica human vertebrae that can act and feel like real bone tissue to help train spinal surgeons before they go into live operations.