Mosaic Manufacturing has launched a 3D printing platform that has been purpose-built to simplify, automate, and lower the cost of custom orthotics manufacturing.
Orion has been designed specifically for application within labs and clinics and is said to be capable of manufacturing soft and rigid patient-specific devices.
While digital orthotics production represents a compelling opportunity, Mosaic believes it has often been expensive, fragmented, and difficult to implement. The company has therefore endeavoured to provide a solution to these challenges, with Orion developed in line with feedback from manufacturers and clinicians.
Among Orion’s key features is a belt-based 3D printing architecture, which is said to eliminate the need for traditional production batching. One unique patient case can immediately follow another, per Mosaic, with automatic queue management enabling continuous, unattended overnight and weekend production. It is supported by the Mosaic Stryde Software Suite, which allows users to move from digital scanning through design and production management, replacing manual foam-box impressions and standalone design tools. Customers with an established digital workflow can also connect Orion to their compatible CAD/CAM setup.
With this range of capabilities, Mosaic suggests users will be able to produce approximately 300 pairs per month per Orion printer, at a per-pair cost of approximately 6 USD and a print time of around 1 hour and 45 minutes. The company also says material waste is reduced, as is downstream hand-finishing.
“The ask from orthotics manufacturers was clear: they want to move toward digital production, but getting there with the fragmented tools on the market has been painful,” said Mitch Debora, CEO at Mosaic. “They wanted an end-to-end, validated solution they could implement confidently and thrive with – and our team delivered. Orion makes digital orthotics production accessible today.”
The Orion is supported by two proprietary Mosaic 3D printing materials. The Aero is an EVA-like material for soft-shell, accommodative orthotics that are engineered for comfort and resilience with a smooth, uniform finished surface. This materials has passed ISO 10993-5 biocompatibility testing for cytotoxicity. Meanwhile, Align is a polypropylene-like material for rigid, corrective orthotics and is engineered for high-support applications requiring structural control and consistent stiffness across every build. This material has completed over three million fatigue cycles, according to Mosaic.
By allowing both of these materials to be printed on the Orion, Mosaic says O&P labs no longer need separate manufacturing workflows, separate equipment, or separate technicians for soft versus rigid custom orthotics.
“Mosaic has spent more than a decade engineering additive manufacturing systems for real-world production, with a focus on automation, process control, and repeatable output,” said Derek Vogt, Chief Technology Officer at Mosaic. “We’re applying that experience to orthotics with Orion, developing dedicated materials and a production system designed around the specific requirements of custom devices.”
