Delcam, headquartered in Birmingham, England, held the 2013 Orthotics Technology Forum at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), Atlanta, from May 29-31. The event showcased new and upcoming technologies and processes designed to assist practitioners in the prescription, design, and manufacture of custom orthotic insoles and orthopedic shoes.
More than 100 attendees from around the world, including Sweden, the Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom, Canada, South America, Japan, and China attended this educational event. The guest speakers demonstrated hardware devices to help measure biomechanical features, pressure, and anatomical form, and CAD/CAM tools for plasterless manufacture, as well as new ideas for increasing productivity and reducing manufacturing costs. Subjects that were covered at the event included reverse engineering, designs for mass production, lean manufacturing applications, the use of ultrasound to assess plantar tissue behavior, the integration of digital technology within a clinic or lab infrastructure, the evolution of orthotic design due to the unique possibilities of CAD, and the future of orthotic manufacturing.
