Case study · Medical & health

Designing 3D-printed partial hand prostheses patients want to wear

Every patient is unique, and so should be their prosthesis. Point Designs uses additive manufacturing to make partial hand prostheses tailored to each person’s anatomy, then finishes them with PostPro SFX vapor smoothing so the surfaces are smooth and sealed.

Read the full case study (PDF, opens in a new tab) Test your parts

Published Free download, no form

A Point Designs partial hand prosthesis gripping a black box under running water
PhotoPoint Designs partial hand prosthesis under running water.
Customer
Point Designs
Industry
Medical & health
Application
Partial hand prostheses
Printing
HP Multi Jet Fusion
Finishing
PostPro SFX
Published

Why the surface matters

A prosthesis for everyday use needs more than the right design and a custom print. Surface quality matters just as much: it decides comfort, hygiene, durability and how premium the device looks. To complement the customization that 3D printing allows, Point Designs uses PostPro SFX vapor smoothing to create smooth, sealed surfaces that improve comfort and hygiene while delivering the finish patients expect.

What it delivers

The approach restores hand function and lets patients personalize the look of their device. Combining HP Multi Jet Fusion printing with post-processing, Point Designs delivers prosthetic devices that perform reliably and look and feel like premium products patients are proud to wear.

The full case study explains how PostPro vapor smoothing improved patient comfort and hygiene, streamlined manufacturing and raised the overall quality of customized prostheses.

Point Designs on video

Watch the story

Nothing loads from YouTube until you press play.

Watch on YouTube:

FootageLength 1:01

3D-Printed Prosthetic Hand | MJF Full Color + Vapor Smoothing for Medical Use

At RAPID + TCT 2026: a custom partial hand prosthesis by Point Designs, color-printed on HP MJF with articulating fingers, then vapor smoothed for a sealed, cleanable surface.

Watch on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Keep reading

All case studies
  • Case study 03 / 22Medical
    Three colorful 3D-printed upper limb prosthetic sockets in front of a PostPro SFX

    Comfort and hygiene in upper limb prosthetics

    Customer
    Atlantic Clinic for Upper Limb Prosthetics
    Process
    HP Multi Jet Fusion → PostPro vapor smoothing
    Result
    A sealed, low-friction surface for comfort and hygiene
    Published
  • Case study 08 / 22Medical
    Two 3D-printed orthoses held side by side: one as printed, one after vapor smoothing

    Comfort, hygiene and finish in 3D-printed orthoses

    Customer
    Orthobroker
    Process
    HP Multi Jet Fusion → PostPro vapor smoothing
    Result
    Reliable, consistent quality for both custom and serial production
    Published
  • Case study 13 / 22Medical
    A person holding two colorful 3D-printed ankle-foot orthoses with printed graphic patterns

    Impact resistance of vapor-smoothed orthoses

    Customer
    AbilityMade
    Process
    HP Multi Jet Fusion (MJF 580) → PostPro vapor smoothing
    Result
    Impact resistance of as-printed and vapor-smoothed AFOs compared
    Published

Test your parts

Send us a part. See it smoothed.

We vapor smooth your own parts and send them back with the results. No cost to evaluate · Parts returned · Typical turnaround 2–3 weeks

Test your parts See the systems