Biomimicry in mechanical prosthesis design and 3D-printing

Abstract

The implementation of biomimicry in the design process of prostheses provides new ideas and approaches for their development and increases the applied possibilities of this technology. In combination with new production methods such as 3D printing, a few of these new ideas can be realized easier compared to traditional manufacturing processes. The objective of this work was to find ways to implement biomimicry in the design process of prostheses, and methods to optimize them applying this technique. According to literature dealing with the subjects of biomimicry, 3D printing and prosthetic devices, there is a relationship between the design process of nature and the production of these devices using additive manufacturing.

The topology optimization is one nature-inspired process where the geometry of a prosthesis can be optimized using a complex algorithm. Using the Altair Inspire software the mass of a device can be reduced while its stiffness is maximized. The simulated results often display a complex geometrical structure which is difficult to produce with common manufacturing methods. These results can also be further modified to achieve a more sophisticated part. Because of the flexibility of 3D printing, it is possible to construct these biomimicry structures even when they consist of hollow or slender structures.