Process of printing prostheses and orthoses through 3d printing using recycled plastic material.

Abstract

One of the most serious environmental challenges of the 21st century is the pollution caused by the tons of waste produced globally each year. Another significant challenge of the era is the generation of personalized prostheses and orthoses necessaries to improve many people’s quality of life. For this reason, we developed a project using an applied methodology to address both problems simultaneously. In this paper we propose a sustainable alternative for the manufacture of prostheses and orthoses through 3D printing technologies from recycled plastic, using an applied methodology to develop and optimize a system for producing 3D filament from fragmented recycled plastics. Experiments were conducted using different types of recyclable polymers, with special emphasis on type 2 and 5 plastics, due to their availability and favourable mechanical properties for this application.

The study addresses key factors including aspects such as the choice of the most suitable material, the extrusion process of the filament and its subsequent treatment to give rise to personalized medical devices. This proposal not only contributes to reduce the environmental impact generated by plastic waste, but also offers an efficient and economical solution. Thus, a significant increase in process efficiency and a significant cost reduction compared to traditional manufacturing methods is achieved.