BENCHMARKING OF FDM PRINTED REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR RURAL WHEELCHAIRS

Abstract

Many disabled patients rely on wheelchairs for mobility to participate as equal citizens within society. Wheelchairs supplied through state healthcare are often not well suited to especially rural conditions and often break-down. This study investigates if entry level Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) can be used to produce front caster wheels and seat post guides that commonly fail on wheelchairs. Results of the study has shown that these parts can be produced with good quality and at reasonable cost through FDM. The ability to manufacture custom made parts on request through FDM was shown to be a real advantage to supply hard to source wheelchair parts in the rural communities.