Some of the benefits of 3D printing include:
- 3D printing allows for highly personalized designs tailored to the specific needs and preferences of each individual user. This customization can lead to better comfort, fit, and functionality.
- 3D printing can significantly reduce costs, particularly for customization, as it requires fewer materials and less manual labor.
- 3D printing enables rapid prototyping, allowing practitioners to quickly iterate designs based on feedback from patients. This accelerated design process can lead to faster development and fitting of solutions.
- With 3D printing, intricate and complex geometries can be easily achieved, allowing for the creation of components with advanced features such as ergonomic shapes, lattice structures for weight reduction, and integrated mechanisms.
- By utilizing materials like lightweight plastics and composites, 3D printed prosthetics can be designed to be lighter than traditional devices. This can improve comfort and mobility for the wearer, especially for long-term use.
- 3D scanning technology can capture precise measurements of a patient’s limb, ensuring a perfect fit for the prosthetic or orthotic device. This level of accuracy is difficult to achieve with traditional methods and can enhance overall comfort and usability.
- The digital nature of 3D printing allows device designs to be easily shared, modified, and distributed globally. This can improve access to care in remote or underserved areas where traditional manufacturing facilities may be scarce.
- 3D printing enables the integration of multiple functionalities into a single device, such as incorporating sensors for proprioception, electronics for myoelectric control, or even cosmetic features for aesthetics.
- Traditional prosthetic manufacturing processes often generate significant waste due to the subtractive nature of machining and casting. In contrast, 3D printing is an additive process, minimizing material waste and environmental impact.
- 3D printing technology empowers patients, clinicians, and designers to innovate and experiment with new ideas and solutions. This can lead to continuous improvement in prosthetic design and functionality, ultimately benefiting users worldwide.
The process of 3D printing includes:
- Design/Scan: A digital model of the object to be printed is created using computer-aided design (CAD) software or obtained from a 3D scan of an existing object. A scan is modified in CAD to reflect the customizations necessary for the patient.
- Slicing: The digital model is sliced into thin horizontal layers using slicing software, which generates instructions (G-code) for the 3D printer on how to build each layer.
- Printing: The 3D printer follows the instructions from the slicing software to deposit material layer by layer, gradually building up the object from the bottom up.
- Post-Processing: Steps such as cleaning, curing, or surface finishing may be necessary to achieve the desired final result.
Time to print is an interesting subject. Faster is not always better. Strength and clarity of diagnostics are often obtained by slowing down the print. Our approach is to have many more cost effective printers printing at once and adjust our workflow to accommodate thus getting the best prints possible. 2 to 4 hours is pretty average for most prints.
The short answer is “As much as you want to spend”. Printers run anywhere from a few hundred dollars to hundreds of thousands. Some amazing things are being made with 3D printing right now. Unfortunately many of those printers and materials are too costly to justify for the average practice. Basic FDM technology can be had for low cost utilizing inexpensive printers and slicers and free modification software. Our goal from the very beginning is to get facilities printing on a budget that makes them more efficient and more cost effective than traditional methods in the prosthetic and orthotic field.
