Volume 18, Issue 3, 2023/Journal Proceedings in Manufacturing Systems

Abstract: The transformative impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology manifests across many fields, among which medicine is a relevant beneficiary, significantly contributing to enhancing patients care through designing individualized treatment plans, diagnostics support, imaging analysis, virtual assistant chatbots, etc. However, AI applications in orthotics realm remain mostly unexplored. This paper investigates the integration of ChatGPT with the DALL-E image generator in the design process of 3D-printed wrist-hand orthoses. The objective was to support design ideation by configuring a custom GPT for this topic and using iterative prompt refinements. A multidisciplinary approach incorporating knowledge from engineering and occupational therapy guided the research. Tests results showed that the model is not able yet to generate consistent modifications based on requests, challenges being identified relating to the difficulty of addressing the highly variable orthotic needs. In this sense, a dedicated AI application is required, capable to use multidimensional data and to integrate patients’ feedback into the design loop. Nonetheless, features of the proposed designs showed the potential of ChatGPT to support design-related brainstorming for the development of custom medical devices, presenting an innovative solution to be used in practice.

Key words: ChatGPT, DALL-E, prompt engineering, iterations, design, orthotics, 3D printing, splints.

pp. 103-108 View full text

Studies on the production of parts by means of incremental forming on CNC lathes

Melania BURGHELEA^1,*, Radu-Eugen BREAZ², Adrian-Iosif MAROȘAN³, Alexandru BÂRSAN⁴

¹⁾ Ass. Prof., PhD, Eng, Department of Industrial Machines and Equipment, "Lucian Blaga" University of Sibiu, Sibiu, Romania

²⁾ Prof. PhD, Eng, Department of Industrial Machines and Equipment, "Lucian Blaga" University of Sibiu, Sibiu, Romania

³⁾ Ass. Prof., PhDStudent, Eng, Department of Industrial Machines and Equipment, "Lucian Blaga" University of Sibiu, Sibiu, Romania

⁴⁾ Ass. Prof., PhD, Eng, Department of Industrial Machines and Equipment, "Lucian Blaga" University of Sibiu, Sibiu, Romania

Abstract: The incremental forming process is a manufacturing process used for obtain parts in small or unique batches without the need to use a special die. There is different technological equipment used to perform incremental forming applications such as CNC (Computer Numerically Control) machine tools, such as milling processing centers, or industrial robots. Thus, parts with simple geometry of different shapes can be obtained. The paper presents a study for the realization of a complex part in two stages. The first stage is that of obtaining a truncated cone type part on a three-axis milling center. The second stage of manufacturing involves an additional incremental forming, which due to the shape of the part cannot be done on the same machine, which is why a new set of tools was created that allows parts to be processed on a CNC lathe machine.

Key words: Single point incremental forming, milling machine, lathe machine, CNC.

pp. 109-114 View full text

Web-based application for customization of thermoformable 3D-printed wrist-hand braces

Diana POPESCU^1,* Cristian Ioan TARBĂ ²

¹⁾ Prof., Department of Robots and Production Systems, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania

²⁾ Lecturer, Department of Manufacturing Engineering, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania

Abstract: Thermoformable 3D-printed wrist-hand orthoses, or braces, offer an alternative to traditional manufacturing methods for these medical devices. Using additive manufacturing via the material extrusion process, these customized braces can be produced flat, eliminating the need for support structures typically required in the forearm-scanned-based approach, thus reducing printing time. To make these orthoses accessible to therapists without 3D scanning or advanced modeling skills, this paper presents a web-based application that simplifies customization of the braces’ type, dimensions, and pocket shapes. The integration of FreeCAD and Python in the application provides a combination of 3D modeling and automation leveraging open-source software advantages, and automatically generates the STL file of the custom orthosis. The application's open architecture supports the implementation of new designs, making it suitable for use in 3D printing point-of-care settings. Usability tests with eight participants indicate that the application is easy to use and effective. The mean time to generate the orthosis file for 3D printing was 2 minutes and 12 seconds, while the average time required to gather patient hand and forearm dimensions and input them into the app was 11 minutes and 32 seconds. Notably, this time was reduced by about half during the second use of the app by two of participants.

Key words: FreeCAD, Python, 3D printing, thermoforming, wrist-hand orthosis, brace, web-based app.

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