Mechanical Evaluation of PET-G 3D-Printed Wrist-Hand Orthosis: An Integrated Experimental and Numerical Approach
Krzysztof Łukaszewski, Ratnesh Raj, Anna Karwasz
Abstract
Limb injuries frequently necessitate orthotic bracing, and the utilization of material extrusion (MEX) additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing offers a rapid and cost-effective means of producing orthoses. These characteristics are highly sought after in today's orthotic market. The study focused on the mechanical strength analysis of the wrist-hand orthosis (WHO) made of PET-G filament. Experimental testing and simulation were employed to assess the properties of individualized wrist orthoses fabricated through the MEX AM process. Standard three-point bending samples were manufactured using PET-G filament on a low-cost MEX 3D printer, alongside orthotic fragments and complete orthosis. Experimental testing was performed using a universal testing machine, and results were juxtaposed with those from a finite element simulation model created in the Abaqus environment. This comprehensive research approach facilitates the comparison of the modulus of elasticity of the fabricated components, enabling a comparison between the mechanical properties of the complete wrist-hand orthosis (WHO) product and those of a conventional bending sample.