Essentium and Vorum Advance Biocompatible 3D Printing for the Orthotics and Prosthetics Industry

Essentium, Inc., a worldwide leader in industrial additive manufacturing (AM), today announced it has collaborated with Vorum, a world leader in CAD/CAM solutions for the global O&P market, to introduce a line of biocompatible 3D printing materials. The new materials meet ISO 10993 and US FDA guidance for intact skin surface devices as verified by certified, independent lab testing. A study co-commissioned by Essentium and Vorum verified that Essentium’s PCTG, PA-CF, TPU 74D, and PET-CF are non-contact sensitive, non-cytotoxic, and non-irritant, enabling O&P clinicians to use the 3D printing materials for O&P devices that require long-term skin contact. 

Advancements in 3D printing platforms and software allow O&P clinicians to design and create bespoke lightweight, functional, and affordable devices for patients. They can do it more quickly and efficiently than traditional methods. This has increased the demand for biocompatible 3D printing materials to ensure the long-lasting comfort of O&P devices. 

Biocompatible materials are crucial for O&P patients who need to wear devices that contact their skin for long periods. Essentium’s next-generation materials unlock important advances for O&P devices, such as lightweight prosthetic sockets that provide reliable strength and long-lasting comfort. 

The Essentium and Vorum partnership brings together the Essentium High-Speed Extrusion (HSETM) 3D Printing Platform and biocompatible materials with Vorum’s O&P CAD/CAM solutions and SurePathTM methodology. With 30 years of experience in O&P digital processes, Vorum developed SurePathTM to provide O&P clinicians with a proven approach for 3D printing adoption, implementation, training, and support. This partnership enables O&P practitioners to make a swift and successful transition from plaster-casting methods to 3D printing in any O&P production setting.  

Angela Saunders, CEO, Vorum: “Modern O&P devices are often designed with a more intimate fit than in the past, which means we need to consider how the patient’s skin might behave in direct contact with the final orthosis or prosthesis. We know the practitioners who work with our solutions need to be confident that they can provide the best possible result for their patients. Therefore, it’s imperative to have certified materials so that the 3D printed O&P devices work with the body, not against it.” 

Blake Teipel, Ph.D., CEO, Essentium: “Developing comfortable, properly fitting orthotics and prosthetics is not just a science but also an art. Our biocompatible materials, combined with advanced 3D printing platforms, means O&P clinicians can use their skills to create O&P devices better, faster, and cheaper than before — which also means O&P devices that are more accessible, comfortable, and affordable for many more people around the world.”  

About Essentium

Essentium, Inc. provides industrial 3D printing solutions that are disrupting traditional manufacturing processes by bringing product strength and production speed together, at scale, with a no-compromise engineering material set. Essentium manufactures and delivers innovative industrial 3D printers and materials, enabling the world’s top manufacturers to bridge the gap between 3D printing and machining and embrace the future of additive manufacturing. Essentium, Inc. is ASO9100D certified, and ITAR registered. For more information, visit www.essentium.com.

 About Vorum 

Vorum is the world’s most trusted provider of end-to-end digital solutions for the O&P market. Every 60 seconds, somewhere in the world, a patient is fitted with a device made using Vorum technology. More than 30 years on, Vorum continues to help practitioners make the best custom O&P devices through consistent innovation, breadth of design capability, and unparalleled support – creating a SurePathTM to Success for every customer. 

Media Contacts:
Debbie.Dingle@Essentium.com