Beaufort County Community College’s Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) students completed an impressive project this fall that connected their technical training to real-world problem solving. Under the guidance of lead instructor Matt Holliday, the class designed and produced an adaptive tool to help prosthetic users tighten a common style of lower limb socket.
“This was a major accomplishment for my students,” Holliday said.
A Collaboration Inspired by Personal and Professional Connections
Holliday has a personal and professional interest in applying MET skillsets to the field of orthotics and prosthetics. A former student expressed interest in the discipline, and Holliday’s mother became an amputee in the summer of 2024. Earlier this year, he contacted her prosthetist, Shane Coltrain of Orthotics and Prosthetics East, to explore possible collaboration. Coltrain immediately offered two project ideas.
The class selected a project that focused on improving accessibility for a lower limb socket that uses a small dial to tighten the fit. Patients with arthritis or limited hand strength often struggle to grip and turn the dial effectively.
Designing, Testing, and Refining the Tool
Coltrain provided a sample dial, and Holliday presented the challenge to his MEC 110 students at the start of the fall semester. Working together, the students identified the critical dimensions for a functional tool, then individually designed and modeled their concepts. The class 3D printed and tested all prototypes before Holliday selected two to present back to Coltrain.
Student Landon Davenport’s design (above) was chosen as the optimal version. Davenport (pictured below) then led the refinement phase, conducting material tests and adjusting print settings. He evaluated ASA and ABS polymers and successfully tested a vapor smoothing finishing method. The final tool was produced using ABS.
Sharing the Finished Product with the Field
On November 6, the students visited Orthotics and Prosthetics East to meet Coltrain, present their completed tool, and tour the facility. Coltrain expressed enthusiasm for their work and emphasized how the tool will improve daily comfort for his patients. The class delivered an initial supply of 42 tools, which Coltrain expects will last about nine months in his practice.
Expanding Opportunities in Orthotics and Prosthetics
The visit underscored the strong alignment between MET training and career opportunities in the orthotics and prosthetics field. Prosthetic device development incorporates CAD, 3D printing, CNC machining, vacuum forming, and other technical processes that are core components of the MET curriculum.
At the outset of the partnership, Orthotics and Prosthetics East donated a 3D printer to the MET program, and a follow-up project is already planned.