21/12/23
3D printing technology and its customizability is widely regarded as the future of industry and manufacturing. Raise3D printers illustrate the ways in which the customizability of printed products can be useful for those who have specific needs. The speed and accuracy of Raise3D printers are what help companies who need to create and distribute products to a wide range of customers who require customized products.
Today, there are major gaps in accessibility for individuals with disabilities and special needs, especially for children. For those who are blind or need assistance moving around, the products available and serving these groups are extremely limited. Customization is difficult for such small groups, especially for children, and the high cost of customized products for these children prevents them from basic necessities that can enable them to live life as normally as possible.
Raise3D Pro2 and Pro2 Plus printers grant the nonprofit organizations the most optimized choice for high-speed production and a large size, while being the most suitable for producing products at a lower cost, which in turn increases the accessibility and affordability of the products to those who need them. For children facing both major and minor health challenges and just need a way to get around like other kids, Raise3D’s Pro2 Series printers give them what they need.
Give children facing both major and minor health challenges what they need
6 years ago, Sandra Alfonzo started Adapt Ability, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating customized bicycles for children with special needs or disabilities. The organization uses Raise3D Pro2 Series printers to create large plastic platforms that attach to the bike pedals and make the bike easier to ride. Each platform is different, taking into consideration the user’s foot size and foot shape. For the children who use them, the customizability of these platforms by using 3D printing technology ensures that their feet are always in place.
In the future, Alfonzo hopes to also use other types of Raise3D printers to create personalized handlebar grips for children with deformities in their hands.
Create large plastic platforms attaching to the bike pedals and making the bike easier to ride
Safe Toddles is a nonprofit organization that creates specialized belt canes for blind toddlers. By attaching a steel frame to a belt with magnets, the child can go around freely while knowing what is in front of them. The frame slides on the floor at the bottom, and the part that slides is covered by a 3D-printed plastic part to optimize the sliding motion.
For Dr. Grace Ambrose-Zaken, the creator of these belt canes, using Raise3D printers allows her to make adjustments when needed. For children of varying heights, the shape of the sliding cover can be adjusted to optimize which part is being used the most. The printers allow her to make the design come to life.
For an organization that is seeing more and more demand every day, Raise3D’s printers allow for fast manufacturing, allowing Safe Toddles to keep up. For the increasing number of blind children who need them to get around, the ability to obtain it quickly because of Raise3D’s quick production means that Safe Toddles has a chance to provide an easy solution for all the kids who can benefit from it.
3D-printed plastic part to optimize the sliding motion
For Adapt Ability, Alfonzo saw the 3D printer’s potential as an option for manufacturing. In the past, they created shoe platforms out of metal. However, it was expensive and time-consuming to create and added excessive weight to the bike.
After looking at various 3D printers, Alfonzo ultimately decided that Raise3D would be the best choice due to the speed of production and the size of their products they needed to make. After calculating how long printing would take, she determined that Raise3D would be the fastest and most suitable for her purposes. This speed is achieved with the Raise3D Pro2 Plus, without using the Hyper FFF™ Upgrade, making printing around 3 times faster.
As an alternative to metal, Raise3D’s printers offer affordability. The customizability and speed of the manufacturing both offset the added cost of the printer, and in addition, Alfonzo believes that if they continued to use metal, the cost of the screws, spacers and other materials would be much more expensive than 3D-printing the products.
By being able to produce products at a lower cost, Alfonzo can reach her ultimate goal — increasing the accessibility and affordability of her products to those who need them. For children facing major and minor health challenges and just needing a way to get around like other kids, Raise3D printing allows Alfonzo to give them what they need.
Offer the accessibility and affordability while empowering the customizability and the speed of the manufacturing
Raise3D offers a 3D printing ecosystem that combines hardware and software, which provides support for manufacturers. Raise3D Pro2 and Pro2 Plus printers have large build volumes, allowing for both blind-assisting belts and bike parts to be printed efficiently and in a single printing session. In addition, the Hyper FFF™ Upgrade speeds up these already fast processes by around threefold. For Alfonzo, these shorter times are invaluable, because there tend to be differences in the multiple products they create just for one child, and the speed allows them to make, test and remake their products as needed and very quickly.
Raise3D’s printing solutions are user-friendly and designed to fit on a desktop, making them more accessible to businesses of all sizes. Unlike traditional workshop or factory setups, all Alfonzo needed was a small space and a standard home power outlet to release the full capacity of one or multiple Raise3D printers. The Raise3D printer and its slicing software, ideaMaker, are also designed to allow anyone wanting to 3D print to only face a small learning curve, eliminating the need to hire a professional technician to operate a 3D printer. For Alfonzo, the ease of use was a huge factor in the feasibility of her products.
These features are particularly significant for Adapt Ability and Safe Toddles, whose products require intense customization, cost-efficiency and time. Raise3D printers deliver consistent quality, whether printing a single large piece or manufacturing a small batch, thanks to their industrial-grade components that ensure precise performance even during a long period of continuous operation. For Alfonzo, Raise3D’s speed and size, as well as user-friendliness, excited her, leading her to Raise3D printers.
Raise3D’s products are cost-efficient, customizable, precise and fast, allowing nonprofits like these to support the people who really need it.
Raise3D’s products are cost-efficient, customizable, precise and fast
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