Characterization Of Materials For Customized Afo Using Additive Manufacturing

Neurodegenerative conditions and compressed nerves often cause an abnormal foot drop that affects an individual gait and make it difficult to walk normally. Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) is the medical device which is recommended for the patients to improve the walking ability and decrease the risk of falls. Custom AFOs provide better fit, comfort and performance than pre-manufactured ones. The technique of 3D-printing is suitable for making custom AFOs. Fused deposition modelling (FDM) is a 3D-printing method for custom AFO applications with the
desired resistance and material deposition rate. Generally, FDM is a thermal process; therefore materials thermal behaviour plays an important role in optimizing the performance of the printed parts. The objective of this study is to evaluate the
thermal behaviour of PLA, ABS, nylon and WF-PLA filaments before manufacturing the AFO components using the FDM method. In the study, the sequence of testing materials provides a basic measuring method to investigate AFO device parts
thermal stability. Thermal analysis (TG/DTG and DSC) was carried out before 3D printing is to characterize the thermal stability of each material.