Developing 3D-printed orthotics requires connecting the geometric capture, the design, and the manufacture of a custom piece. Jordi Tura, CEO of Xkelet, explains in chapter 8 of “Toque de Ingenio” how his team worked to automate this process. The article focuses on the engineering of the system and on coordinating with healthcare professionals, without transferring the specific experiences from the video into treatment recommendations.
Guest Jordi Tura. Company or organization: Xkelet.
Interview published: April 29, 2024. Episode: 8. Duration: 1 hour and 44 minutes
In this episode:
- How do scanning and model generation work together?
- Why the quality of the capture affects subsequent operations.
- What changes when trying to scale a personal design process.
Regarding an injury close to a project involving specialists.
Jordi traces the origin of the idea to an injury suffered by a colleague and to the question of whether there was another way to develop a solution for immobilization. The team’s starting point was software, and they had to incorporate knowledge from the healthcare sector.
The guest explains the involvement of professionals in the development of the initial prototypes. The initial technical expertise was not sufficient to define all the requirements for a product intended for that environment.
The case highlights the importance of identifying what knowledge is lacking. In product development, A specialized application requires that its requirements come from those who understand how it is used and the conditions it must meet.
Manual customization presented a capacity limit.
The interview describes a question that arose early on: if each model needed to be designed individually, then growth would be tied to expanding the design team. Jordi sought to automate part of that work using software.
“We need to automate the system”.
Jordi Tura 22:03.
The technical objective was to establish a workflow, from data capture to a prepared model, for the next phase. This automation required the representation of rules and operations that previously relied on human intervention.
The industrial lesson involves identifying where repetitive tasks are concentrated. Automation requires understanding which decisions can be parameterized and which professional intervention needs to be maintained within the process.
The 3D scan requires a sufficiently reliable capture.
Jordi explains that obtaining a geometry using a mobile device presents challenges: loss of tracking, variations in surface, and errors affecting dimensions or tolerances. The software needs to manage these conditions so that the information is useful.
A seemingly correct visualization does not guarantee that the geometry will meet the requirements. The route needs consistent checks aligned with the application, and a method for detecting when the capture needs to be reviewed.
Los prototype and validation testing They allow for the study of the entire process. It’s important to check how an input error can propagate through the design and what mechanisms exist to detect it before production.
Generate the model and simplify the interaction.
During the demonstration, the guest presented a process for selecting parameters and constructing geometry. One of their priorities was to reduce the number of steps and to prevent the user from having to work with a complex design program.
“I wanted to avoid a lot of clicks”.
Jordi Tura 1:34:29.
La user experience and UX/UI design They should connect that simplification with clarity. The user needs to understand what is being introduced, what result is obtained, and what needs to be reviewed. Automating an operation does not eliminate the need to make its scope visible.
The interface and processing are part of the same system. The design should avoid creating the impression that ease of use hides essential information needed to use the result effectively.
Additive manufacturing is part of the architecture.
Jordi explains that the team studied the printing capabilities, speed, volume, and stability of the process. The manufacturing process needed to adapt to the type of part generated by the software and to meet operational requirements.
This case demonstrates 3D printing as a connected phase within previous stages. Orientation, geometry, and production conditions require their own specific criteria, in addition to file generation.
The industrialization of a customized product must maintain consistency between different units. Documentation of the process and checks ensure that variation responds to anticipated parameters, rather than uncontrolled changes.
Accessing the market requires a specific approach.
The conversation focuses on the challenges involved in developing and implementing a solution within the healthcare sector. Jordi mentions the need for coordination with centers, studies, and the resources required to sustain the project. These references describe the situation as of April 2024.
The article does not present the figures, timelines, or clinical results cited by the guest as currently validated. The guest’s contribution to engineering involves recognizing that a technical demonstration and preparation for a specific application are distinct stages.
Planning the development process requires incorporating the specialists and checks that are relevant to the application. This coordination should begin during the product definition and continue throughout its evolution.
Questions about 3D-printed orthotics
What stages does the system described by Xkelet connect?
Capturing geometry, introducing parameters, generating a model, and manufacturing. The episode demonstrates how the team is seeking to automate part of this process.
Why does the quality of 3D scanning matter?
Because the captured geometry informs subsequent design. Any tracking errors or dimensional discrepancies must be identified and managed within the process.
What does UX/UI contribute to a software for automated design?
Help the user to input parameters, understand the result, and recognize what needs to be reviewed. Streamlining the process should ensure that all necessary information for using the system is retained.
Four key takeaways from the chapter.
- A specialized application requires the specifications of its professionals.
- Automation begins with understanding the decisions made within the process.
- The quality of the capture influences both the model and the piece.
- The design should coordinate software, manufacturing, and user interaction.
From learning to product development.
At i-mas, we develop products and systems that integrate design, technology, and manufacturing. If your project requires data capture, a device, and a user experience, We can study the technical requirements with you..
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Source: Original interview from Toque de Ingenio, published on YouTube on April 29, 2024. The experiences, figures, and plans discussed in the interview are reflective of that specific time. The connections to i-mas services are the editorial analysis of the article.
