Maker labs and 3D printing in the Province

Interesting to note that 3D printers and laser cutters are both similarly-used niche tools, but 3D printers are the ones now getting mainstream attention.

While we know that lasers are way cooler, I think we have to start pimping our 3D printers more.

We also badly need a member to use them to start printing prosthetics. And then write up a very long and picture-heavy blog post on the front page.

If you are interested in prosthetics, let’s chat. I’d love to get our machines printing hands and run some assembly workshops. I am a fabricator for http://enablingthefuture.org/ which donates 3D printed prosthetics mechanical hands. I have shipped one hand and am working with an industrial designer in Edmonton to incorporate the recipient’s feedback and ship another. It’s a very interesting process.

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Holy mackerel Ashley, is that actually the hand you printed? Is a work of art.

Thank you. Yes. It’s the third hand I’ve made although the first one I have sent to a recipient. The others were test prints. I can take no credit for the design other than some sizing customization for the recipient. This is the Raptor Reloaded, the most popular open source design among the eNable group. Andreas Bastian is the mastermind behind this particular design (although it’s really the culmination of a group effort). Also check out the work of Steve Wood, designer of the fabulous Flexy Hand which is next on my print list.

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So cool and wonderful!

If you’d be willing to roll a “prosthetic design” chat into a 3D printer saturday, you might get a decent showing.

But yeah, this is awesome and exactly the kind of thing that would be great on the front page. Can I convince you to write up a quick thing with lots of pictures at some point?

Sure, I’ll do a blog post. Can’t say how quickly I’ll get around to it, but soon’ish - probably as I near completion of the next iteration for this recipient. We’ll see from that what interest there may be in a workshopy kind of thing.

I would be in. Been meaning to explore those prints.

Awesome! Thanks, Ash.

Side note, anyone who needs access to post on the front page, send me a PM or something and we can set that up

Are all those pieces printed as is (in what looks like PET) or did you try thermomoulding PLA?

I’ve played around with it a little bit, and it’s great for custom fittings, but I’m not really sure about the overall strength.

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Yes, PET and came off the printer as you see it (well in many pieces). The one I posted uses a piece of leather on the underside of the palm for the paw to push against, but the latest version of the Raptor uses a thermomesh piece. I haven’t tried it yet but it looks like a great technique. There is at least one professional prosthetist in the eNable group who has started experimenting with thermoforming 3D printed pieces. The one you made looks great! Nicely done. In theory is should be stronger because the layers are no longer planar. Won’t know until you attempt to destroy it. That’s what I did with my first hand :slight_smile:

It’s a pretty easy print. I found it on Thingiverse and just gave it a go to see what it was like and I was very impressed with the results. I imagine it would be a lot better if I had actually customized it to the size of my hand, and got a specialist to mould it correctly.

It only took a couple hours to print and the thermomoulding is really just repeatedly dunking it in near boiling water while forming it into shape.

Here’s the part if you’re interested in trying it yourself. Wrist brace by piuLAB - Thingiverse

The design of the part was pretty well done, the honeycomb pattern and thick edge provides a lot of strength it most directions, but I think it’s pretty weak in compression in the direction it’s bent. It takes impact okay, but I haven’t done any destructive tests on it to see it’s limits. With a bit of padding and straps in the allocated slots I think this would achieve it’s purpose fairly well as a brace. It really only needs to restrict movement and provide a bit of protection.

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