Additive In-Time Manufacturing of Customised Orthoses

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Christian Friedrich - , Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology (Author)
  • Stephan Rothstock - , Gesellschaft zur Förderung angewandter Informatik e. V. (GFaI) (Author)
  • Laura Slabon - , Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology (Author)
  • Steffen Ihlenfeldt - , Chair of Machine Tools Development and Adaptive Controls, Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology (Author)

Abstract

Additive manufacturing of plastic components in medical technology enables greater freedom of design when designing patient-specific products, in particular, in production of customised medical products, such as orthoses. In the present contribution, the advantages of a digital process chain are combined, from the 3D scan of the patient to CAD-supported modelling of the corrective form and the orthosis design until the path planning of a printable geometry. The main disadvantages of current additive printing techniques, such as the fused filament fabrication (FFF) process, are high printing times (>12 h) for larger components as well as the low degree of freedom in the 2.5D printing technique that prevent the subsequent application of geometry features to the product. The fast SEAMHex (Screw Extrusion Additive Manufacturing) printing technology with a hexapod kinematic printing bed provides a solution to the mentioned difficulties. Consequently, the high-performance printer has been prepared for the individual requirements of medical technology in terms of materials and geometries. An effective additive manufacturing process has been realised and tested in combination with a digital process chain for orthosis modelling.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number63
Number of pages13
JournalJournal of manufacturing and materials processing
Volume8
Issue number2
Publication statusPublished - 21 Mar 2024
Peer-reviewedYes

Keywords

Keywords

  • additive manufacturing, digital process chain, hexapod kinematic, path planning