I couldn’t imagine living a life without an arm. Being able to write, play baseball outside with your dad, or even tie your shoelace would be complicated and seem close to impossible. But what if there was a solution that allowed amputees to get their lives back?

I got into 3D printing in 2018 after discovering how affordable it had become, but I would have never anticipated the amount of happiness it would have given me for positively changing other people’s lives. Not wanting to just print random things, I challenged myself to find a good way to use my plastic. I pondered What can I do to improve the lives of others and benefit my community?  After extensive research, I stumbled upon a volunteer group called E-NABLE that organizes the production and fabrication of 3D printed prosthetics for people with lack of access to expensive prosthetic devices. 

Thanks to plastic and volunteers across the globe, amputees can live a happy life at an affordable price point. The Prosthetics Outreach Program found that the average amputee goes through 20-25 prosthetics throughout his or her lifetime, often replacing their prosthetics on average every 3-4 years for adults and every 6-12 months for kids (Strait 4). With each prosthetic costing on average $5,000 to $25,000 per device, the expenses these families face is overwhelming (PrintYourMind3D). Fortunately, a 3D printed prosthetic device costs less than $15 in plastics and $50 for hardware (Booth), meaning with a World Health Organization estimate of 30 million amputees around the world with only 80% of them having access to prosthetic devices, volunteers can help close this 20% gap of around 6 million people in a very cost-effective manner (The Garage).

While this gap of 6 million people with lack of access to prosthetic devices seems to be tremendous, 3D printing these prosthetic devices is ridiculously simple. Taking the appropriate prosthetic devices and downloading it’s files from open-source websites thanks to volunteers commissioned through E-NABLE, I change the settings on my fine-tuned 3D printer to print the plastic device in a quality and efficient manner. Using a biodegradable and user-friendly plastic, PLA, which can decompose in harsh environments in as few as six months, I send the g-code to my server to wirelessly print the device as I’m eating a bowl of cereal. The bed is leveled, the glass is clean, and the molten plastic will one day be used to better the lives of kids in third world countries. Communicating and organizing through Facebook groups, I continue to get appropriate sizes to amass a collection of devices that will one day be sent in bulk order to kids in a third world country.

Taking engineering classes throughout high school and designing parts in CAD programs, I have become very acclimated to rapid-prototyping for companies, personal use, and to benefit others. Each and every day, I continue to expand my knowledge using CAD programs like Autodesk Inventor and Autodesk Fusion 360. Plastic allows me and other students to participate in unprecedented manufacturing processes and utilize our skills and knowledge to benefit society. In this way, plastic is contributing to the success of younger generations in their learning endeavours. I’m always expanding my horizons and searching for new ways to use my plastics in order to better the lives of others, which to me is the ultimate satisfaction of this new manufacturing process.

In addition to prosthetic devices, there are many other applications that are beneficial utilizing 3D printing that would be impossible without the almighty molten material. While my dad can get some industry usage out of this versatile material through my prototyping or through files designed by his engineers that can be printed for a meeting the next day, there are many other limitless applications this material presents to hobbyists. Ranging from puzzles and toys for kids, phone holders for cars, keys for mechanical keyboards, a coffee filter holder and a shaver holder for my uncle, or ornaments for family members, plastic can evidently be used in many ways to help improve the quality of life for people throughout society with varying demands.

Additionally, the variety of plastics helps to increase the list of helpful 3D printing applications. While a rigid beginner-friendly plastic, PLA (polylactic acid), is environmentally friendly due to its biodegradable plant-based composition of corn-starch or sugar cane, a flexible filament like TPE that can be used for phone cases, car wheels, and more increases the never-ending list of 3D printing possibilities. Not only are there different types of base plastics, but there are also hybrid filaments (carbon fiber infused, saw dust infused, neon plastics, etc.) that can expand the appearance and functionality of a person’s plastic necessities.

In the end, the ability to rapid-prototype and improve the quality of life for others would not be possible in a world without plastics. 3D printing presents consumers with limitless possibilities. Plastics not only created a hobby such as 3D printing for me and others around the world, but it increases connection and a sense of community. The organization and generosity of random strangers who come together to positively contribute to society, problem-solve, and teach others is an amazing achievement of this advancing technology. Thanks to plastics, the world is changing for the better.

Works Cited

Booth, Stephanie. “How One Organization Is Pioneering The 3-D Printed Prosthetic Revolution.” Health News, 11 June. 2018, healthline.com/health-news/organizati

on-pioneering-3-d-printed-prosthetic-revolution#7.

“How 3D printing is transforming lives with better fitting, and better looking, prosthetics.” The Garage, 21 Mar. 2019, garage.ext.hp.com/us/en/innovation/hp-3d-printing-prosthetics

.html

Strait, Erin. Prosthetics in Developing Countries. 2006.

“The Basics of 3D Printing Prosthetic Hands.” PrintYourMind3D, 2 Mar. 2019. prin

tyourmind3d.ca/blogs/articles/94969286-the-basics-of-3d-printing-prosthetic-hands.