Wheelchairs. Full-torso scoliosis braces. Custom seating systems. These are body-sized, and for years, 3D printing couldn't make them. The build chambers were too small.

That's no longer true, and the demand isn't going anywhere. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 2.5 billion people currently need at least one assistive product, rising to 3.5 billion by 2050 as populations age. There aren't enough orthotists and prosthetists to make all of those devices by hand.

Large-format additive manufacturing provides the answer to this demand.

Key Takeaways

• Large-format 3D printing systems can produce full-size wheelchair frames and full-torso body braces in a single print session, eliminating the structural risks of multi-piece bonded assemblies
• 3D printed scoliosis braces can be produced in as little as 3 days, compared to a traditional fabrication timeline of approximately 3 weeks
• Custom orthotics produced with large-format Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) are typically around 50% lighter than their conventionally fabricated counterparts
• Modern scan-based workflows have replaced invasive physical casting, allowing patient measurements to be captured via X-ray and 3D scan

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