Side Support for Additive Fabrication of Foot Orthotics
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for additive fabrication of foot orthotics face challenges such as increased material and time usage, surface finish issues, and reduced dimensional accuracy due to the need for supporting rafts or discrete supports, which can lead to production failures and defects.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of a side support structure, where the foot orthotics are printed with a side edge facing downward and supported by a side support comprising a base plate and a vertical wall, allowing for reduced material and time usage while maintaining stability and enabling easy removal of the support structure post-fabrication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a temporary supporting raft is printed under the arch section to provide support during printing, then the arch section can be supported during fabrication, but additional printing material and printing time are required
Solution Approach 1:
The support function is extracted from the final product geometry and implemented as a separate, removable support structure. The support raft is printed as a distinct component that can be easily separated from the finished orthotic, eliminating the need to include support material in the final product design.
Solution Approach 2:
The support raft is designed as a temporary structure that is discarded after serving its support function during printing. It is easily removable and does not become part of the final product, allowing for clean separation without affecting the quality or integrity of the finished orthotic.
2Reliability
If a temporary supporting raft is printed under the arch section to provide support during printing, then the arch section can be supported during fabrication, but additional printing material is required
Solution Approach 1:
The support function is extracted from the final product geometry and implemented as a separate, removable support structure. The support raft is printed as a distinct component that can be easily separated from the finished orthotic, eliminating the need to include support material in the final product design.
Solution Approach 2:
The support raft is designed as a temporary structure that is discarded after serving its support function during printing. It is easily removable and does not become part of the final product, allowing for clean separation without affecting the quality or integrity of the finished orthotic.
3Loss of time
If discrete supports such as pillars or rib arrays are used to support the foot orthotics, then material and time usage may be reduced, but portions of the bottom surface not in contact with supports can sag during printing, reducing surface quality and dimensional accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The support approach transitions from discrete point supports (pillars or ribs) to a continuous planar support surface. The support raft provides a broad, distributed support base that prevents sagging across the entire bottom surface, ensuring dimensional accuracy and surface quality throughout the printed orthotic.
4Reliability
If a supporting raft with a curved top is printed under the arch section, then the arch section can be supported during printing, but it may be difficult to separate the supporting raft from the printed foot orthotics without leaving surface defects
Solution Approach 1:
The support function is extracted from the final product geometry and implemented as a separate, removable support structure. The support raft is printed as a distinct component that can be easily separated from the finished orthotic, eliminating the need to include support material in the final product design.
Solution Approach 2:
The support raft is designed as a temporary structure that is discarded after serving its support function during printing. It is easily removable and does not become part of the final product, allowing for clean separation without affecting the quality or integrity of the finished orthotic.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach minimizes material and time consumption, improves surface finish and dimensional accuracy, and reduces production failures by providing stable support during the printing process without leaving noticeable defects on the final product.
Implementation Method 1
additive fabrication/manufacturing techniques such as three-dimensional printing (3D printing) techniques have been used to fabricate foot orthotics
Implementation Method 2
fused deposition modeling (FDM) technique, which is generally disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,749,347 and 5,121,329, incorporated here by reference, include melting a filament of build material, extruding the print material out of an extrusion nozzle
Data Source
AI summary
A method for additive fabrication of foot orthotics comprises printing, in successive layers, a side support; and printing, in successive layers, a foot orthotics on the side support, wherein the foot orthotics comprises a side edge printed directly on top of the side support, and is supported on and connected to the side support through the side edge. A controller for controlling operation of an additive fabrication device comprises a processor and a memory. The memory stores thereon processor-executable-code, the code when executed by the processor, causes the additive fabrication device to print foot orthotics according to the above method. A method is also provided to construct a data structure for additive fabrication of foot orthotics according to the above. A computer comprising a processor and a memory is provided for constructing such a data structure.