Founded in 2014 and based in Mikołów, in Poland’s Śląskie region, Cosmotech makes components for medical and orthopaedic equipment from carbon laminate and polymers. EU funding enabled the company to begin production, using 3D printing technology, of ultralight folding wheelchairs providing a high level of comfort for people with disabilities.
Lightweight folding wheelchairs for people with disabilities developed in Poland
- 30 September 2019
We had long had the idea of producing wheelchairs which would be light and easy to use for active people. Accordingly, the first wheelchair of this kind was produced using material made from carbon fibre. It is certainly an example of world-class innovation, among other things because it can be folded up so that it is no bigger than its wheels. For several months we experimented with different materials, and a putty knife used in shipbuilding opened up new possibilities for us. To that end, we obtained funding from the Śląskie Entrepreneurship Centre. We are currently producing carbon fibre wheelchairs and printed models, thanks to the 3D printer designed for that purpose.
Cosmotech’s analysis pointed to a big demand for strong, lightweight, custom-made wheelchairs. The firm then applied advanced engineering solutions to create an attractive design within which individual elements such as the seat can be personalised based on a 3D body scan of the user.
The wheelchair is among the lightest on the market, with the frame weighing around 3 kg (compared with 6-9 kg for aluminium models and 10-15 kg for steel versions), and can be folded up to fit into a portable case, making it easy to store and transport.
The project created a full-time job for a designer and builder, and a part-time job for an employee responsible for preparation of the project and configuration of the wheelchairs.
Changing perceptions of wheelchairs
Many people see wheelchairs as a symbol of disability and limited opportunity, and focus on what their users cannot do rather, than on what they can do. This view tends to be reinforced by their drab colours, which are often redolent of hospital interiors, and their cumbersome, hard-to-assemble structure.
Cosmotech aims to change how disability is perceived and experienced, both by society and the disabled themselves by developing – together with its customers, who can test different models at the company’s headquarters – attractive, brightly coloured wheelchairs which reflect the personalities of their users.
The firm takes the focus away from disability by promoting wheelchairs as a symbol of personal autonomy, stressing their role in enabling users to achieve things that would otherwise be impossible. This applies to the company’s approach to participation in sports by physically active wheelchair users as well. As a result, Cosmotech’s one-of-a-kind carbon fibre tandem wheelchair made its marathon debut on the streets of the Śląskie region in the summer of 2019.
Eco-friendly, personalised models
Use of 3D printing allows Cosmotech to produce wheelchairs suitable for various activities quickly – in about seven days – and at a relatively low price. It provides the opportunity to adapt existing prototypes to the needs of each customer easily and cheaply.
Moreover, one of the main materials in the wheelchairs is a plastic blend based on polylactic acid, a polymer derived from plant-based and eco-friendly sources such as beetroot or cornmeal. Components printed from this blend are assembled together with carbon fibre structural parts to form a modern-looking, lightweight and highly customisable wheelchair.
Cosmotech is looking to increase its production capacity to make more wheelchairs at lower prices, and to enhance the environmental sustainability and cost-effectiveness of its processes by reusing leftover printed material. Joint research is planned with the biomedical engineering faculty of the Silesian University of Technology.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Setting up production of folding wheelchairs” is EUR 123 000 (PLN 536 034), with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 45 000 (PLN 196 110) through the “Śląskie Voivodeship” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Research and innovation”.