Fabrication and Stress Analysis of Kid's Ankle Foot Orthosis with Additive Manufacturing

Volume 7 Issue 1 November - January 2017

Research Paper

Fabrication and Stress Analysis of Kid's Ankle Foot Orthosis with Additive Manufacturing

Harish Kumar Banga*, R.M. Belokar**, Parveen Kalra***, Rajesh Madan****

* Ph.D Scholar, Department of Production and Industrial Engineering, PEC University of Technology Chandigarh, India.

** Associate Professor, Department of Production and Industrial Engineering, PEC University of Technology Chandigarh, India.

*** Professor, Department of Production and Industrial Engineering, PEC University of Technology Chandigarh, India.

**** Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, UIET, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India.

Banga, H. K., Belokar, R. M., Kalra, P., and Madan, R. (2017). Fabrication and Stress Analysis of Kids Ankle Foot Orthosis with Additive Manufacturing. i-manager’s Journal on Mechanical Engineering, 7(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.26634/jme.7.1.8336

Abstract

The aim of this study is fabrication of new design and stress analysis of Ankle-foot orthoses (AFO) on gait parameters of foot drop patients. In the initial phase, patients by age 3-5 years, who are suffering from cerebral palsy and foot drop disease are selected. An AFO is orthosis that is specifically designed to modify the functioning of the ankle and/or the foot. AFOs are produced in various forms composed of different materials, and prescribed with a wide variety of aims. In market, AFOs in polypropylene & polyethylene materials are available which are used by children. The present AFO design is used by patients who are facing excessive heating and sweating problem. After discussing with Patients and Orthotist (who prescribed AFO to patients), the authors have tried to overcome the problem with the new design of AFOs & done the Finite Element Modelling and stress analysis. The result shows that this new design is very close to the actual product.