Design, Analysis and Fabrication of Customized AFO for Disabled People

Project Title

Design, Analysis and Fabrication of Customized AFO for Disabled People

Project Area of Specialization 3D/4D PrintingProject Summary

Ankle foot orthoses (AFO) are a type of assistive device that is used on lower limbs with the neuromuscular disorder to stabilize the joints, improve walking patterns and physical functioning of the affected or abnormal lower limb. With consumers' increasing demand for customized products, new manufacturing techniques are being introduced regularly. In addition, medical specialists and physical rehabilitation centers are taking a variety of steps to provide their patients with more accurate prosthesis and orthosis devices, as well as more design and customization options. AFOs are typically manufactured using injection molding, which is a manufacturing process that allows for the production of large quantities of parts. Plaster casting for manufacturing requires delicate skills and a huge amount of effort. Pastor foot molds are made. Pastor molds of the foot are used to create the custom-made orthosis, which is a time-consuming and expensive process. With the advancement of additive manufacturing techniques, customized AFO can be printed using 3-D printing, which can produce custom shapes and geometries that are not possible with traditional manufacturing. Devices can be created more quickly and easily, with the additional benefit of being able to modify and replicate the device. Our project focuses on the design and fabrication of customized AFOs for disabled people using 3D printing (fused deposition modeling technique), which is rarely used in the production of assistive devices.

Project Objectives

• Design ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) in a CAD software by taking measurements from samples.
• Perform finite element analysis (FEA) of AFOs to optimize design using various trim-lines.
• Comparison of different materials in FEA to determine the best.
• Perform statistical analysis on the FEA results to get the optimum combination of AFO design and material.
• Comparison of traditional and no-traditional manufacturing techniques of AFO for process improvement.
• Fabrication of AFO using additive manufacturing technology.

Project Implementation Method

Following flow chart explains the implementation of project.

Benefits of the Project

Some of the key benefits of the project are:

1. High level of customization and personalization.
2. Lean and agile manufacturing.
3. Low cost and manufacturing time.
4. Waste free and sustainable manufacturing.
5. Improved walking pattern and patient comfort using customized AFOs.
6. Practical contribution towards disabled community and Paraplegic Center Peshawar.
7. Business opportunity for SMEs.
8. Fabrication of assistive devices using latest technology for local industry to improve their capacity building in this area.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

The aim of the project is to design and fabricate customized assistive parts i.e. AFOs, using 3D printing technology. This process includes

1. Material selection i.e. PLA, Nylon or ABS
2. Fabrication of prototypes
3. Testing
4. Fabrication of Final product.

The fabricated parts will then be contributed to the disabled community and the paraplegic center.

Final Deliverable of the Project Hardware SystemCore Industry ManufacturingOther IndustriesCore Technology 3D/4D PrintingOther TechnologiesSustainable Development Goals Good Health and Well-Being for People, Industry, Innovation and InfrastructureRequired Resources

Item Name	Type	No. of Units	Per Unit Cost (in Rs)	Total (in Rs)
			Total in (Rs)	78000
Nylon Spool	Equipment	2	19500	39000
3D Printing	Equipment	4	5500	22000
Mechanical Testing	Equipment	4	2000	8000
Transportation	Miscellaneous	4	1000	4000
Doccumentation	Miscellaneous	4	500	2000
Delivery Charges	Miscellaneous	4	750	3000