RTM turned to Stratasys’ 3D printing technology to produce prototypes with greater and more affordable personalisation. This improves patient outcomes, usability and affordability. Additionally, 3D printing is a clean process, enabling manufacturers to go from scan to design to print in a digital-only environment. “3D printing skips this time-consuming resin-soaking process and eliminates the restrictions of the foam. For us, Stratasys’ technology gives us greater manufacturing freedom than chalk moulding and far surpasses those of other artisan prosthetics,” said Antenucci. 3D printing allows RTM to produce individual prosthesis moulds by mirroring scans of the unaffected limb. These are then covered in silicon to produce the final prosthesis, with the 3D printed core model later removed.
3D printed
in FDM thermoplastics, these prosthesis moulds are mechanically strong and
perform much like the final product.
The growing demand for personalised prosthetics requires the ability to
customise quickly and with reliable results. By using additive manufacturing,
RTM can produce durable prosthetics with unparalleled precision in a wide
range of advanced 3D printing materials to save both time and costs.
“By introducing Stratasys 3D printing in-house we can receive a customer
scan from anywhere in the world in a matter of minutes and can rapid
prototype the mould within a few hours. Since installing the technology,
we have cut our prosthetic tool turnaround time by as much as 93%,”
said Antenucci.
