Prosthetic Covering Material
Abrasion Benchmark Studies Used to Select Prosthetic Covering Material
Situation:
Silipos®, a global leader in gel technology, needed a means to help select a more durable covering material for their DuraGel™ line of Mineral Oil Gel Liner Systems used in prosthetics. Jointly developed with Silipos’ R&D team and prosthetic consultants, a nylon composite fabric covering was designed to minimize distal elongation while offering wearers optimum range of motion, mobility, ease of application and skin hygiene. However, when making the claim that DuraGel is long-lasting, Silipos turned to Taber Industries for our expert opinion.
Analysis:
The Taber Industries Rotary Abraser was determined to be the most suitable instrument for this application after preliminary testing showed the wear generated on the samples was representative of the wear seen on similar products in the field.
The characteristic rub-wear action of the Abraser is produced by the contact of a test sample against the sliding rotation of two abrasive wheels driven by the sample under test in opposite directions. This action helps to simulate the wear damage caused by rubbing, shock and shear forces typically associated with below the knee limb prosthetic liners.
Testing on a variety of candidate samples was conducted in accordance with ASTM D3884 using a visual failure analysis. Samples were ranked on their performance based on the number of cycles it took to generate initial wear through of the liner material.The customer used the Taber Rotary Abraser (Abrader) to test their materials and was following a procedure based on ASTM D3884. Abrasion resistance was evaluated with a visual inspection of the test specimen after a specified number of abrasion test cycles.
Benefit:
Through the use of the Taber Industries Rotary Abraser, Silipos® was able to confirm the optimal selection of a covering fabric for their DuraGel™ product line that improved overall product performance, enhanced customer satisfaction, and reduced complaints and warranty claims.
