Orthotic Materials

Durometer

Durometer: a means of identifying hardness of a material, defined as the "material's resistance to permanent indentation". Durometer can refer to both the measurement, as well as the instrument used to generate the measurement. Our orthotic materials are based on a Shore A Durometer, which is the standard of measurement for orthopedic materials.

Iron

A very old, yet traditional measurement in the shoe industry, iron is used to measure the thickness of materials. One iron is equal to 1/48 inch (0.5292 millimeters), so, for example, a sole 1/4 inch thick is described as "12 iron".

Sheet Size

Determines the size to which a given sheet of material is cut and the depth of that material. Sheets are not a uniform dimension. They typically will be available as a full sheet, half sheet, roll or wheel. See the individual description to determine the amount of each material.

Molding Temperature

This is the recommended temperature, given in degrees Fahrenheit, at which orthotic materials should be heated for optimal molding. Overheated may cause the material to melt or shrink, making it unusable. Under heating may result in a lack of moldability.

Grindability

Defines whether or not the orthotic material can be used on a grinder, such as the Sanigrinder.

Laminate

This is the number of layers or materials glued together to form a single sheet. Material laminates possess some distinct advantages over single layer materials. A characteristic, which is poor in one material, may be offset by the same characteristic, which is strong in another material. Laminating two such materials together, or otherwise using them in conjunction, produces a better functioning material. Materials used in this manner possess all of the good qualities and none of the weaker qualities of its' component materials.

For more information on any of our fabricated orthotic materials, contact an Acor Orthopaedic representative today.