Ortho-Schuh – Development of an additive manufacturing process with digital planning methods for customised orthopaedic foot bedding
Development of customised orthopaedic insoles using digital data and planning and multi-material 3D printing.
Project Partners
VitalCentrum Hodey KG, Camaix GmbH
Duration
01.11.2024 – 31.03.2027
Funding authority
Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy
Motivation
Due to diseases such as diabetes, people are dependent on orthopaedic footwear in order to avoid more drastic consequences such as amputations. Orthopaedic shoes are designed to provide the foot with the softest and most homogeneous bedding possible in order to achieve an even distribution of pressure across the sole of the foot and avoid pressure points. Misalignments can also be corrected and the rolling behaviour can be adjusted to prevent the foot from bending when walking. The production of these shoes requires intensive craftsmanship and precise adjustments. Digital technologies and 3D printing offer potential for improvement.
Method
The aim is to develop an overall process that replaces traditional decision-making and manual production steps with digital solutions. This initially includes the development of a standardised data recording protocol for the precise digital recording of foot and footbed data, which establishes a direct link between measurement points and the design of the footbed. Furthermore, a planning model is being developed which will be used to automatically derive the local properties for optimum cushioning and stability in the footbed from the foot measurement data. At the LCC, fine adjustments to strength and damping properties are developed through investigations of flexible materials and different structures. This should enable additively manufactured footbeds through multi-material solutions.
Acknowledgement
The Chair would like to thank the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy for funding the project “Ortho-Schuh” under the ‘ZIM:’ programme. (Funding reference: KK5135829CR4)
Contact Persons
Daniela Schreil, M.Eng.; Dipl.-Ing. Thomas Wettemann