Help with printing prosthetic sockets

[J.R. Spencer jr]

They are not using 3d printing, but a carving cnc machine and making a foam replica of my stump. Btw the number I gave you is his business, SRT is the name of the company. Good luck any thing I can do? J.R.

[Captain Starfish]

A question.

If you're scanning for an accurate model of the stump, then carving or printing a female form to fit it, what's the advantage of the high tech approach over taking a female cast, making a male plug and drape forming (vacuum or even epoxy impregnated fibre mat) a cup over that? Is it time? How it mates to the rest of the prosthesis? Surface finish?

[TFMike]

A question.

If you're scanning for an accurate model of the stump, then carving or printing a female form to fit it, what's the advantage of the high tech approach over taking a female cast, making a male plug and drape forming (vacuum or even epoxy impregnated fibre mat) a cup over that? Is it time? How it mates to the rest of the prosthesis? Surface finish?

i don't think they carve a female form of the stump but rather as close to a 1:1 copy of the stump as possible and then vacuum form plastic over that.

[Captain Starfish]

Ok, in which case why not take a plaster or similar female, mould a plug and drape form over the plug?

I'm all for the hi-tech, but just curious what advantage it offers in this application to offset the cost.