Page 52 - Research Report 2021 - Institut für Leichtbau und Kunststofftechnik

TapeProthese

Development of a technology for the production of sockets for transtibial
prostheses on the basis of prefabricated blanks made out of tape braid for
rapid individual fitting to the patient

As a replacement for the loss of extremities due to an accident or illness, Period
prostheses are a widespread aid for those affected to regain mobility and par- 01.05.2019 – 31.07.2021
ticipate as good as possible in everyday life. Although a wide variety of pros-
theses are commercially available, their manufacture is currently enormously Project management
complex and costly. The research and technology development project Tape- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Niels Modler
Prothese aims to provide an alternative by efficiently and reproducibly man-
ufacturing of shafts for transtibial prostheses on the basis of industrially pre- Contact
fabricated blanks. Simon Eckardt
Antonio Becke
The prosthesis sockets are manufactured from carbon fiber-reinforced ther-
moplastic tapes in a braiding process. Due to the textile draping behavior of Project partners
the braided preforms, they enable the manufacturing of individually shaped • Augst Kunststoffprodukte GmbH
structural components. In addition, finished prosthetic shafts can be sub- • B+S Werkzeug- u. Formenbau GmbH
sequently reshaped or adapted. As a central element of the manufacturing • EBB Beschlagtechnik GmbH
process chain for the shaft components, a new technology for the overmould- • FGMD GmbH
ing of braided hollow structures in preform condition has been developed. • herone GmbH
Thanks to this technology, a large part of the prosthesis manufacturing pro- • Kajamed GmbH
cess can be automated. Using this process chain, a demonstrator of a tran-
stibial prosthesis was finally conceptualized, designed, manufactured and suc- Funding
cessfully tested.

To accomplish the project, partners from industry and research worked
closely together within the interdisciplinary project consortium and realized
the specific work packages.

Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and
Climate Action (BMWK): Central Innovation
Programme for SMEs (ZIM)
Funding code: 16KN067353

Managed by:

VDI/VDE Innovation + Technology GmbH

© herone, ILK/TUD and Kajamed.
Tape prosthesis concept (left) and Tape prosthesis technology demonstrator (right).

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