Morris Technologies Helps Someone Climb to New Heights

CINCINNATI, March 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Imagine opening a gift on Christmas morning and finding a body part in the box.  This happened to CJ Howard in 2010...well, sort of.  Click here to read the full story and see photos

CJ was a normal, active teenager in 2002. He liked to snowboard, run, hike, cycle, and swim. And then one day he was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma, a form of cancer that led to part of his leg being amputated just below the knee.  He was 18 years old.

In 2008 he met Mandy Ott, a mechanical engineer working for a large aerospace company and an avid climbing enthusiast. He wasn't going to be deterred from joining her in her avocation.

Everything worked just fine, except for one thing: the prosthetic was quickly ruining the expensive climbing shoe on that foot. CJ would have the shoes resoled, but eventually would have to purchase new pairs.

Around this time, Mandy was working with Morris Technologies.  She was aware that the folks at MTI are experts in direct metal laser sintering (DMLS). A custom foot was an ideal "fit" for additive metal manufacturing. So a titanium foot was created.

CJ had taken part in the design of the foot, but by Christmas 2010, he had forgotten about it.

"I was completely shocked," says CJ. "When she handed me the box with the foot I was totally expecting to pull out a [climbing] rope, not a shiny, new climbing foot.  Definitely a one-of-a-kind gift!"

The new foot has advantages for CJ. Mandy reports that "the stiffness keeps him from slipping (unlike what he was using before), and the size helps him with crack climbing (and keeps him from getting stuck so easily)."

Other good news: CJ is nine years cancer-free April 2012.

Click here to read the full story and see photos

About Morris Technologies, Inc.

Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, Morris Technologies, Inc. (MTI) has been on the cutting edge of additive manufacturing technologies since 1994.   MTI invests heavily in R&D and specializes in end-to-end product development, from engineering to prototyping to low-volume manufacturing.  For more information about Morris Technologies, visit www.morristech.com or contact [email protected].

Contact:
Mike Cloran
Marketing Manager
Morris Technologies, Inc.
11988 Tramway Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45241-1667
Phone: 513-733-1611
www.morristech.com
[email protected]

SOURCE Morris Technologies, Inc.