Designing and Producing Hand Orthosis With Artus3D and the Fuse Ecosystem

Artus3D in Ridderkerk, the Netherlands, provides orthotists with an all-in-one solution for creating hand orthotics, combining software and in-house production in multiple materials. Artus3D has seven years of experience in the orthotic space, and began by outsourcing their 3D printing. But finding service providers who would print in TPU was difficult, and Artus3D kept running into hurdles including reliability and shipping times — that is until last year, when they discovered the Fuse 1+ 30W selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printer and TPU 90A Powder. 

For Artus3D, bringing SLS 3D printing in-house gave them more control over their production, allowing them to save both time and resources. We sat down with Lars Broxterman, sales and production manager at Artus3D, to learn more about their transition to in-house orthotic production with TPU.

Artus3D began as a software solution focused on making orthopedic aids through technological innovations, going from a digital scan to a 3D printed product in a fast, intuitive way that would be easy to learn and execute. 

To enable accessibility and adoption of these digital workflows, Artus3D made the process as easy as possible. To start, Broxterman says, “You can use any scanner you want. You just put the rough scan in the software, the software automatically sees if it's left or right, what's top, what's bottom, and cuts off the parts the software doesn't need. The software automatically fills the gaps, and from there, you have total control of your design.”

The software will automatically generate a proposed hand orthosis, at which point users can adjust designs. Then, Broxterman says, “You select the material you want to print in. There are some settings preset. The software gives a preview of how it thinks the orthoses should look. From there, you can adjust every trim line you see. You can also adjust the thickness manually.” 

Broxterman says that for orthotists, “The biggest problem, it's the designing of the product.” The focus for Artus3D was, therefore, ease of use, leading to the development of, as Broxterman says, “a software in which end users or orthopedic CPOs can design their own hand orthoses with basic knowledge of 3D printing, so that it’s easy to start and use our software.” 

Once the orthotic is designed, Artus3D users can print on their own printers, or order a 3D printed orthotic directly from the software.

Artus3D began by outsourcing the 3D print production of orthotics ordered through their software. However, they kept running into hurdles, including reliability and long shipping times. But, as Broxterman says, “We couldn't do much about it, because there weren't that many 3D printing companies that printed in TPU, so we had to deal with it.” Printing almost 2000 orthotics in a year in multiple materials, Artus3D needed an alternative solution to outsourcing that could keep up with demand.

Bringing printing in house would give Artus3D control over production, but they needed a 3D printer that fit their budget, could keep up with demand, and printed TPU. In 2023, they worked with Formlabs reseller Visiativ Benelux, who introduced them to the Fuse 1+ 30W, which made it possible for Artus3D to move 3D printing of TPU orthotics in-house.

Printing in-house, Broxterman found that the Fuse Ecosystem offered more than just control over shipping times, it also sped up production. When outsourcing printing, Broxterman says they “Set delivery times for around two weeks, and now we can easily go to one week.”

By printing in-house, Artus3D has reduced costs and timelines for themselves, while speeding up the time it takes for customers to receive the orthotics they need. 

After 3D printing with the Fuse 1+30W, Artus3D uses the Fuse Sift for part extraction, powder recovery, storage, and mixing of new and used powder to minimize waste. They’ve recently added the Fuse Blast for fully automated cleaning and polishing, delivering clean, smooth parts with ease. 

One of the main reasons Artus3D adopted the Fuse 1+ 30W was material availability. Broxterman says, “There weren't that many 3D printing companies that printed in TPU, so we had to deal with their timelines. The turnaround point for self-printing was when the Fuse 1+ 30W offered the TPU material.”

Artus3D offers a number of material options to users, but TPU 90A Powder for the Fuse 1+ 30W was a turning point. TPU 90A Powder is a tough elastomer with high elongation at break and superior tear strength for flexible, resilient, and skin-safe parts. These material properties make it ideal for 3D printing orthotic devices that need to stand up to frequent use while also providing the wearer with a comfortable, safe experience. As Broxterman says, “We don't print just everything on the Fuse but with small steps, we introduced the new material to our customers. They're happy, so we are happy.” 

Orthotics printed on Artus3D’s software in TPU 90A Powder come in three thicknesses — thin, normal, and thick — for customized options depending on a patient’s unique case. Broxterman says that users, too, have liked orthotics printed with TPU 90A Powder. “What we heard from the end users is that it's easy to clean. It feels nice on the skin, it's lightweight, so it's very comfortable to wear.”

Artus3D is making it easier to 3D print hand and wrist orthotics, with smart algorithms to automate design and easy, in-platform ordering. By adding in-house production with TPU 90A Powder on the Fuse 1+ 30W, Artus3D has taken control of their production, cutting down on the time and cost it takes to produce orthotics in, as Broxterman says, a game-changing material.

Intuitive workflows and ease of use are top of mind for both Artus3D and Formlabs, with solutions that make it easier and faster than ever for orthotists to provide patients with orthotics.  

Learn more about Artus3D’s software on their website, or contact a Formlabs expert to learn more about 3D printing solutions and the Fuse Ecosystem.