Integrating Scaleable Additive Manufacturing Technology to Improve Sustainability in the Manufacture of Orthotic Products

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Crispin Orthotics are working to create an efficient, effective and sustainable process for the manufacture of custom made orthotic products.Current systems used in the provision of made to measure orthotic products are invasive, inconsistent and create high volumes of non-recyclable waste.Our project uses the most effective portable 3d scanning systems to provide anatomical measures, rather than using plaster casts. These scans are then used to create a virtual representation of an orthosis which can be presented to the clinician and patient before manufacture to ensure it meets expectations.Once approved, the virtual representation is manufactured as a physical orthosis using a functional 3d printing system to provide a device which is:* Exact* Functional* Comfortable* Cosmetic* LightweightAdditional environmental benefits include:* A reduction in non-recyclable material waste associated with traditional manufacturing methods* Time from scan to manufacture is reduced due to the removal of transport costs which also benefits CO2 reduction.* A reduction in post manufacturing processes reducing energy costs associated with productionThe integration of digital scanning technology provides the potential to for the process to be utilised globally and as a result providing an effective export market.Our project is to further explore efficiencies in the design and manufacturing process to create products which are more cost efficient than traditional devices.We expect demand for our service will increase during post Covid-19 reinstatement of Orthotic clinical services due to the time efficiency benefits that this system can provide. The innovation funding will enable us to achieve a fast track to completion by increasing both our project time resources and financial investment allocations and ensure we can make this new and innovative technology available to Orthotists and their patients upon completion.