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<p>The progress of additive manufacturing, from rapid prototyping to the creation of usable components, has led to the development of new 3-D printing methods that enhance user capabilities. Multi-material 3-D printing allows for the fabrication of parts with a variety of material properties, which is crucial for biomedical applications such as prosthetics. Studies have shown that tailoring the stiffness of a prosthetic socket across its volume in relation to the tissue with which it is in contact improves patient outcomes. A common approach is to have discrete material regions to accommodate different tissue stiffness around the limb. However, stress concentrations at discrete material interfaces can lead to parts being weaker than intended. Gradual material transitions mitigate these issues, while allowing for precise control of the mechanical properties. This level of control can be achieved by using voxel-based (3-D pixel) multi-material printing. Gradients can be created by depositing small voxels of different material proportions and patterns that blend seamlessly to create the overall structure. While Polyjet 3-D printing has been the primary method of manufacturing voxel-based composites and provides high printing resolution, fused filament fabrication (FFF), also known as fused deposition modelling (FDM), offers better availability, affordability and recyclability, and a wider selection of materials. This study investigates voxel-based composites printed via FFF using two thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) with shore hardnesses of 75D and 85A. Samples with varying proportions of the stiffer TPU (0–100%) were produced using randomly distributed 1 mm<sup>3</sup> voxels. Compression and cyclic testing were employed to assess the effectiveness of the voxel methodology for stiffness tuning. It was found that the proportion of each material in the sample greatly affected the mechanical Young’s modulus. Additionally, cyclic testing validated the structural integrity of these samples under repeated loading, showing no significant structural degradation. Micro-CT images were also used to investigate the internal structure of these composites. The stiffness range achieved, and the stability in cyclic testing show how voxel-based composites have potential for future development and use in prosthetic sockets.</p>

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3-D printing digital materials: towards tailorable prosthetic sockets

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年11月26日

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  • Joshua Bertram,
  • Michael Jakubinek,
  • Irina Garces

摘要

The progress of additive manufacturing, from rapid prototyping to the creation of usable components, has led to the development of new 3-D printing methods that enhance user capabilities. Multi-material 3-D printing allows for the fabrication of parts with a variety of material properties, which is crucial for biomedical applications such as prosthetics. Studies have shown that tailoring the stiffness of a prosthetic socket across its volume in relation to the tissue with which it is in contact improves patient outcomes. A common approach is to have discrete material regions to accommodate different tissue stiffness around the limb. However, stress concentrations at discrete material interfaces can lead to parts being weaker than intended. Gradual material transitions mitigate these issues, while allowing for precise control of the mechanical properties. This level of control can be achieved by using voxel-based (3-D pixel) multi-material printing. Gradients can be created by depositing small voxels of different material proportions and patterns that blend seamlessly to create the overall structure. While Polyjet 3-D printing has been the primary method of manufacturing voxel-based composites and provides high printing resolution, fused filament fabrication (FFF), also known as fused deposition modelling (FDM), offers better availability, affordability and recyclability, and a wider selection of materials. This study investigates voxel-based composites printed via FFF using two thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) with shore hardnesses of 75D and 85A. Samples with varying proportions of the stiffer TPU (0–100%) were produced using randomly distributed 1 mm3 voxels. Compression and cyclic testing were employed to assess the effectiveness of the voxel methodology for stiffness tuning. It was found that the proportion of each material in the sample greatly affected the mechanical Young’s modulus. Additionally, cyclic testing validated the structural integrity of these samples under repeated loading, showing no significant structural degradation. Micro-CT images were also used to investigate the internal structure of these composites. The stiffness range achieved, and the stability in cyclic testing show how voxel-based composites have potential for future development and use in prosthetic sockets.