{"id":2673,"date":"2026-05-06T10:02:31","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T10:02:31","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2026-05-14T19:27:39","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T19:27:39","slug":"improving-tracking-tracing-and-quality-assurance-of-customized-pediatric-orthotics","status":"publish","type":"novanta_story","link":"https:\/\/novanta.com\/precision-manufacturing\/resources\/success-stories\/improving-tracking-tracing-and-quality-assurance-of-customized-pediatric-orthotics\/","title":{"rendered":"Improving Tracking, Tracing, and Quality Assurance of Customized Pediatric Orthotics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-challenge\">The Challenge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Replace hand engraving process on finished goods<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-application\">The Application<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Laser marking and coding on a curved surface<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-solution\">The Solution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>25 Watt CO2 laser coupled with a 2-axis laser marking head<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"737\" height=\"517\" src=\"https:\/\/novanta.com\/precision-manufacturing\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2026\/05\/image_f161d9.png?quality=85&amp;strip=all\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2674\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novanta.com\/precision-manufacturing\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2026\/05\/image_f161d9.png?quality=85&amp;strip=all 737w, https:\/\/novanta.com\/precision-manufacturing\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2026\/05\/image_f161d9.png?resize=320%2C224&amp;quality=85&amp;strip=all 320w, https:\/\/novanta.com\/precision-manufacturing\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2026\/05\/image_f161d9.png?resize=400%2C281&amp;quality=85&amp;strip=all 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 737px) 100vw, 737px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Cascade DAFO, Inc. introduced the first Dynamic Ankle Foot Orthosis (DAFO\u00ae) for pediatric and adult patients who lack some degree of voluntary control of their foot and\/or ankle. Unlike rigid AFO braces, the thin, flexible patented DAFO design provides freedom to move, yet protects the foot and ankle from danger, helping patients to maintain the correct foot\/ankle position, encourage mobility, and ultimately, improve success with standing and walking skills. \u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cascade DAFO takes pediatric orthotics a step further by allowing patients to choose colors, patterns, and decorative graphic elements to personalize their device. For younger patients especially, this is a particularly important feature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Loretta Sheldon, COA &#8211; Director of Business Development &amp; Education at Cascade DAFO put it, \u201cwhen you see things like the designs they choose, that\u2019s the kids participating in their own healthcare, which makes quite a big difference in whether they want to wear the braces or not.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With both custom and pre-fabricated DAFO designs, and literally hundreds of decorative options for patients to choose from, product tracking and quality control at Cascade DAFO is imperative. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Originally, Cascade DAFO\u2019s efforts to track each DAFO consisted of recording job numbers, manufacturing dates, and patent numbers using hand-held engravers. These pneumatically-powered engraving tools were heavy, noisy, and difficult for employees to operate for hours at a time. Any mistakes often meant starting over and these marks could sometimes be difficult to read, potentially leading to warranty questions or delays in reordering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moreover, when Cascade DAFO\u2019s business grew to include European territories, other challenges presented themselves such as the European Union\u2019s requirement that the CE mark be included on each pre-fabricated brace sold in Europe. With this additional requirement, hand engraving tools proved to be ill-suited for the task, leaving Cascade DAFO to consider the costly alternative of reworking all of their thermoforming molds to incorporate the CE mark. \u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In search of a better solution, Cascade DAFO\u2019s manufacturing engineers contacted Synrad, a Novanta brand about the possibility of using a CO<sub>2<\/sub>\u00a0laser to mark the polyethylene (PE) shell. Working closely with Cascade DAFO, Novanta Application Engineering Manager Justin Conroy quickly determined that a 25 Watt CO<sub>2<\/sub>\u00a0laser coupled with an FH Flyer marking head was the perfect solution to marking the compound curved DAFO shell.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Challenge Replace hand engraving process on finished goods The Application Laser marking and coding on a curved surface The Solution 25 Watt CO2 laser coupled with a 2-axis laser marking head Cascade DAFO, Inc. introduced the first Dynamic Ankle Foot Orthosis (DAFO\u00ae) for pediatric and adult patients who lack some degree of voluntary control [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":342,"featured_media":2674,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"show_table_of_content":true},"class_list":["post-2673","novanta_story","type-novanta_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.0 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - 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