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IndustriesMedical & orthotics
3D printing for medical and orthotics
Insoles and splints made to one person rather than to a size, printed in batches overnight in PA11 nylon from a scan of the patient. A print service for labs that want additive without the outlay of a machine.
- Orthotic and prosthetic labs
- Podiatry clinics
- NHS and private orthotic services
- Medical device developers
- £25 a pair
- 3/4 hardshell insoles, indicative price on a batch of 50 pairs
- 24 hours
- from print to ready for fitting, as OT4 in Munich run it
- 40%
- saving per part reported by Crispin Orthotics
Foot scan to printed insole
How a day of patients becomes one build
The scan at the front of the process matters as much as the print at the end. This is the route an orthotic lab runs with us, from the patient in the chair to a batch of devices ready for fitting.
- 1
Scan the foot or limb
A handheld Artec Leo captures a limb in seconds, wireless with no laptop, which is the difference between a patient holding still and a patient holding still for two minutes. The Artec Eva is a cost-effective way to start.
- 2
Turn the scan into a base model
The scan becomes a triangulated mesh of the patient’s geometry, which is the base the device is designed around.
- 3
Design the device in CAD
The orthosis is designed to fit that patient and the thickness can vary across the device to put stiffness where it is needed. Changes happen on screen, before anything is made.
- 4
Nest a batch and print overnight
Devices are nested together in the build. Hundreds of personal orthotics can be printed overnight in one 12 hour MJF build, in PA11 nylon.
- 5
Clean, finish and fit
Parts come out of the powder to be cleaned and finished. They are ready for fitting within 24 hours of printing.
- 6
Keep the file
The digital record stays on file, so a replacement or the next treatment starts from the last design rather than from a new cast.
Why labs change
What the traditional route costs a lab
- 01
Casting and machining one at a time
Plaster casts, vacuum forming and hand finishing make every device a separate job, which limits how many patients a lab can see.
- 02
Devices that have to flex
An orthosis has to support the patient and move with them. Rigid materials crack, soft ones do not support.
- 03
No two the same
A hand-made device is hard to reproduce exactly when it wears out or a second pair is needed.
- 04
The cost of a machine
An industrial 3D printer is a large outlay for a lab that wants to try additive before committing to it.
What we print
Devices made to one person
Insoles and ankle-foot orthosesPrinted to a scan of the actual foot, in PA11 for devices that need to flex or PA12 for stiffer shells.Read more
Wrist and hand bracesSplints and supports in PA11 nylon, which flexes without cracking, perforated for comfort as well as weight.Read more
Cranial helmets and face masksHelmets and masks shaped to the individual, printed in nylon from a scan.
Prosthetic sockets, covers and fittingsCrispin Orthotics printed an arm orthosis with an integrated elbow joint and an attachment for prosthetic devices, as one part.Read more
Anatomical and surgical planning modelsModels a team can hold before the day itself, printed from scan data of the anatomy.The two nylons we print in
PA11 is the material that made this practical: bio-based, it takes repeated flexing and MJF prints it in batches of hundreds.
Labs already doing it
Jobs we did ourselves, written up with the people we did them for.
Scanners a lab starts with
We have supplied Artec scanners into the medical field for years. The Eva is the cost-effective start for leg and foot orthoses. The Leo is wireless and processes on board.
£29,232ex VAT
Find out more
£8,316ex VAT
Find out moreMedical and footwear work from our portfolio
Photographed in our own lab, with the machine that did it.
Questions we get asked
Something else? Ring 0330 229 0175 and an engineer will answer it.
Not answered here?
Ask the engineers who run the machines. We answer the same working day.
What does a 3D printed insole cost?
Our indicative price is £25 a pair for 3/4 hardshell insoles on a batch of 50 pairs, or £30 a pair on a batch of 25, with volume discounts available.
Why PA11 rather than PA12 for orthoses?
PA11 is bio-based and more ductile. It bends and comes back rather than cracking. It has high impact resistance as well as elongation at break, so a device can move with the patient and still support them. PA12 suits stiffer devices.
How many devices fit in one build?
Hundreds of customised orthotics can be printed overnight in one 12 hour MJF build, which is how a lab runs a day of patients through one print.
Do I need to buy a 3D printer?
No. We print for labs that want the benefit of additive without the outlay of a machine. You send the designs, we print, finish and dispatch.
Which scanner should a lab start with?
We recommend the Artec Eva as a very cost-effective way to begin scanning for leg and foot orthoses. The Artec Leo is wireless with on-board processing, so there is no laptop or cable near the patient.
What can you print besides insoles?
Ankle-foot orthoses, wrist braces, cranial helmets and face masks, in PA11 or PA12.
Send us a batch to price
Tell us the device, the volume and the material. We will quote the batch. If you are scanning for the first time, we can help with that too.