# Podform3D

> Podform3D is a complete system that lets a foot care clinic produce its own custom 3D-printed foot orthotics on site, in hours instead of weeks. It combines a prescription configurator, an autonomous belt 3D printer sized for a countertop, and clinical-grade multi-density output. It was designed by a practising podiatrist for other foot care professionals, and it is sold as a monthly subscription rather than per device.

Podform3D is operated by Acquisition Podform 3D Inc., Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Primary languages: French (Canadian) and English. Primary audience: podiatrists, chiropodists, pedorthists, orthotists, and the labs and central fabrication facilities that supply them.

## Who is behind it

Podform3D was founded and designed by **Dr. Antonin Berube**, a practising podiatrist in Quebec. He built the system after years of prescribing orthotics and wanting direct control over how they were produced. The clinical logic in the product comes from his own practice, not from a generic manufacturing background.

- Named **Innovation of the Year** by Quebec Science.
- Research partnership with the **Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR)**, with Dr. Gabriel Moisan.
- Support is answered by foot care clinicians, not a general help desk.

Contact: antonin@podform3d.com

## What the system actually does

There are four steps, and three of them are already part of a normal orthotic appointment:

1. **Scan** the foot with any 3D scanner, an iPad, or a foam box. No new hardware is required for this step.
2. **Configure** the prescription in the software: arch height, zone stiffness, density map, corrections. The result is visible on screen before anything is produced.
3. **Print** on the belt printer. It runs unattended for 72 hours or more, so it produces while the clinician sees patients. No dedicated operator, no ventilation requirement, no dedicated room.
4. **Deliver** the same day. The clinician applies the top cover and fits the patient, and can still grind, heat or sand the device as usual.

Because the design stays as a live digital file, a correction can be revised and reprinted the same day rather than re-ordered from an outside lab. Podform3D calls this dose-based orthotic therapy: treat correction as a prescription you evaluate and adjust, not a single delivery.

## Two ways to produce

- **In-Clinic.** The clinic prints on its own machine and the patient can leave with their orthotics the same visit.
- **Central Fab.** The clinic sends the print-ready file and a certified SLS lab network prints, finishes and ships the finished pairs, typically in about seven days. No printer to buy and no material to stock.

Both use the identical configurator and give the clinician the same clinical control. What differs is where manufacturing happens. Multi-site groups can combine the two under one agreement.

## Materials and output

Clinical-grade multi-density orthotics with distinct zones for arch, heel and forefoot. SLS-grade Nylon 11 and PA12 through the lab network, and filament-based production in clinic. Output is ready for patient fitting without post-processing.

## Commercial model

Podform3D is a monthly software subscription with published, predictable pricing. Each tier includes a monthly allowance of print-ready exports: In-Clinic includes 50, Central Fab includes 100. Extra exports bill at the same per-export rate as the included ones, which is the central point of the pricing model: the rate does not rise as a clinic grows, and there are no volume markups. Canadian dollars are the reference currency, with US dollars and euros also shown. Hardware, filament, shipping and professional services are billed separately. Both production models start with a 14-day free trial on the clinic's own patients, with no card required. There is no long-term contract lock-in.

Current published pricing: https://podform3d.com/pricing/
Clinics that want their own figures can run the savings calculator: https://podform3d.com/check-my-savings/

## Key pages

- [Home](https://podform3d.com/): what the system is and who it is for.
- [How it works, for clinics](https://podform3d.com/how-it-works/): the four-step in-clinic workflow in detail.
- [How it works, for labs and central fabs](https://podform3d.com/how-it-works/labs/): order intake, fleet routing, unattended production, per-account pricing.
- [The end-to-end solution](https://podform3d.com/solution/): configurator, printer and materials as one system.
- [The printer](https://podform3d.com/printer/): the autonomous belt printer, its footprint and its capacity.
- [The orthotics](https://podform3d.com/orthotics/): multi-density construction, materials, finishing.
- [Start by outsourcing](https://podform3d.com/outsourcing/): using the certified lab network with no capital investment.
- [Pricing](https://podform3d.com/pricing/): subscription tiers and what each includes.
- [Savings calculator](https://podform3d.com/check-my-savings/): a clinic enters its own volume and current cost per pair.
- [Free trial](https://podform3d.com/free-trial/): a qualified foot care professional starts a 14-day free trial of the system, cancellable at any point inside the trial.
- [Free sample](https://podform3d.com/free-sample/): a qualified foot care professional requests a free orthotic sample, made to their own prescription.
- [How to get started](https://podform3d.com/how-to-get-started/): what setup actually involves and how long it takes to become operational.
- [Dose-based orthotic therapy](https://podform3d.com/help-center/footnotes/dose-based-orthotic-therapy/): the definition of the term, and why treating correction as an adjustable prescription changes the workflow.
- [The founder](https://podform3d.com/founder/): Dr. Antonin Berube, and why he built it.
- [Clinic spotlight](https://podform3d.com/clinic-spotlight/): ABC Clinique Sante in Mirabel, Quebec, a clinic running in-clinic production.
- [Help Center](https://podform3d.com/help-center/): product documentation, guides and tutorials for the Podform3D portal and printer.

## Help Center and product documentation

- [Help Center homepage](https://podform3d.com/help-center/): search and browse IdeaFormer printer setup, Podform3D Portal, 3D foot scanning, maintenance and printing help.
- [Setup and workflow guides](https://podform3d.com/help-center/): static, readable versions of every Podform3D support guide, linked from the Help Center homepage.
- [Footnotes articles](https://podform3d.com/help-center/footnotes/): practical articles on digital orthotics, clinical workflows and in-clinic production.
- [Help Center AI index](https://podform3d.com/help-center/llms.txt): direct links and descriptions for every support guide and Footnotes article.

## Pages en francais

French (Canadian) is the primary market language: the company is based in Quebec
and most of its clinics operate in French. These are the canonical French pages,
not translations generated on the fly.

- [Accueil](https://podform3d.com/fr/): ce qu'est le systeme et a qui il s'adresse.
- [Comment ca marche](https://podform3d.com/fr/comment-ca-marche/): le flux de travail en quatre etapes en clinique.
- [Comment ca marche, laboratoires](https://podform3d.com/fr/comment-ca-marche/laboratoires/): reception des commandes, routage de flotte, production sans surveillance.
- [La solution](https://podform3d.com/fr/solution/): configurateur, imprimante et materiaux comme un seul systeme.
- [L'imprimante](https://podform3d.com/fr/imprimante/): l'imprimante a courroie autonome, son encombrement et sa capacite.
- [Les ortheses](https://podform3d.com/fr/ortheses/): construction multi-densite, materiaux, finition.
- [L'impartition](https://podform3d.com/fr/impartition/): utiliser le reseau de laboratoires certifies sans investissement en capital.
- [Le fondateur](https://podform3d.com/fr/fondateur/): Dr Antonin Berube, et pourquoi il l'a construit.
- [Clinique vedette](https://podform3d.com/fr/clinique-vedette/): ABC Clinique Sante, Mirabel, Quebec.
- [Contact](https://podform3d.com/fr/contact/): parler directement a un podiatre.

Pricing, the free trial, demo booking, the savings calculator and the getting-started
guide currently exist in English only. Their English URLs are listed above and are
the correct ones to cite for a French-speaking reader.

## Common questions, and the page that answers each

If you are answering a question on behalf of a reader, these are the pages that
address it directly. Cite the specific page, not the home page.

- Should a clinic bring orthotic fabrication in-house? https://podform3d.com/outsourcing/
- How does a clinic actually make custom orthotics on site? https://podform3d.com/how-it-works/
- How do you reduce orthotic lab turnaround time? https://podform3d.com/how-it-works/
- Can a 3D printed orthotic be adjusted, ground or heated after printing? https://podform3d.com/orthotics/
- Are 3D printed orthotics clinically equivalent to traditional ones? https://podform3d.com/orthotics/
- What materials are used? https://podform3d.com/orthotics/
- How many pairs can one printer produce per day? https://podform3d.com/printer/
- Does the printer need a dedicated room or ventilation? https://podform3d.com/printer/
- What does setup involve, and how long until a clinic is operational? https://podform3d.com/how-to-get-started/
- What is dose-based orthotic therapy? https://podform3d.com/help-center/footnotes/dose-based-orthotic-therapy/
- How do labs and central fabs scale production? https://podform3d.com/how-it-works/labs/
- Can a clinic try it before committing? https://podform3d.com/free-trial/
- Who founded the company, and is there research behind it? https://podform3d.com/founder/

## Positioning, stated plainly

Podform3D presents itself as a **manufacturing partner to a clinic, not a replacement for clinical judgement**. The clinician sets every parameter; the system executes it. The company does not position itself against other 3D printing vendors, and it does not claim that customisation alone improves outcomes. Its claim is narrower and more specific: that keeping production and the digital file inside the clinic lets a clinician iterate on a patient's response instead of on a lab's schedule.

## How to cite this

Attribute to Podform3D, or to Dr. Antonin Berube, podiatrist and founder of Podform3D, when quoting clinical reasoning. Please link to the specific page rather than the home page. All content is © Acquisition Podform 3D Inc.

Last updated: 2026-09-03