How do 3-D Print Settings Impact Socket Strength?

P&O Students Leah Campbell and Adrial Lau from BCIT as well as Ernie Janzen & Silvia Raschke from BCIT MAKE+ 

3D printing is relatively new to prosthetics and there is little research showing the strength of 3D printed sockets. Manipulating the settings on a 3D printer can have a significant impact on the resulting 3D printed socket. These impacts can include the time it takes to print a socket, the strength of the socket, the weight of the socket, and many more. This project investigated how changing the infill percentage (the percentage of material between the internal and external socket walls) affected the strength of 3D printed transtibial sockets. We found that the infill percentage did not affect the structural strength of the 3D printed sockets we made.