Rapid Manufacturing of Individualized Prosthetic Sockets
Filip Górski, Radosław Wichniarek, Wiesław Kuczko, Magdalena Żukowska, Ewa Suszek
Abstract
The paper presents the experimental process of manufacturing individualized prosthetic sockets out of thermoplastic material, using an additive manufacturing technology of Fused Deposition Modelling. The patient was an adult male with an amputated forearm. His stump was 3D scanned using a low-cost 3D scanner in a semi-automated manner. Then, the anthropometric data was used for the creation of a model of a prosthetic socket, which was subsequently manufactured. Three different 3D printers were used, with three different materials (ABS, nylon and PC) and three different sets of process parameters. The paper contains the descriptions of the process, its results and opinions by the patient, leading to the selection of an optimal process course variant.