Most objects you sit on, grip, or lean against are a compromise. Foam comes out of a mold at one firmness, so manufacturers pick an average and hope it works for everyone. This week a Florida company showed what happens when you stop compromising. Kalogon, a smart seating company in Melbourne, Florida, launched Verro, a Medicare-coded custom wheelchair cushion line, and the flagship version is 3D printed as a single piece of elastomer lattice that is firm in some zones and soft in others. Fabbaloo covered it this week, and it is one of the clearest real-world examples yet of a design trick every engineer and maker should know about.
One Print, Many Firmnesses: What Kalogon Actually Launched
Verro Lattice is built on Kalogon's patent-pending variable-density lattice technology: a 3D printed elastomer whose internal geometry changes across the cushion. Where the body needs to be held in position, the lattice is dense and firm. Where pressure needs to spread out, it opens up and gets soft. According to the company, the open structure also lets air flow through the cushion, sheds liquid instead of pooling it, comes in up to two pounds lighter than an average cushion, and is even safe on the top rack of a dishwasher.
The fit process matters just as much as the material. Clinicians order each cushion from either a 3D scan of a molded seating position or a set of detailed measurements, and Kalogon says it ships within 14 days of receiving the order from its Melbourne, Florida facility. Scan a person, print a part that matches them exactly, deliver it in two weeks. That is the whole story of modern additive manufacturing in one product.
Can a 3D printed part be soft in one spot and firm in another?
Yes. Because a 3D printer builds a part line by line, it can change the internal lattice geometry from one zone to the next, so a single piece of one material can flex easily in one area and stay stiff in another. No molding process does this well, because a mold fills with one material at one density. With a printed lattice, the designer tunes cell size, strut thickness, and cell shape region by region, the same way Kalogon tunes firm support zones and soft relief zones across one cushion. The material never changes. Only the geometry does, and geometry is free in 3D printing.
Why Variable-Density Lattices Matter Beyond Wheelchairs
Seating is the headline application, but zone-tuned stiffness is useful anywhere a part touches something irregular or needs different behavior in different places. Think tool grips shaped to a specific hand, protective inserts for cases that cradle an instrument firmly at the mounting points and gently at the delicate ones, equipment pads that support a heavy corner harder than a light one, and drone or robotics feet that soften landings without wobbling on the bench. We build one-off and low-volume parts like these at our Rockville, Maryland shop, and lattice zoning is one of the first tools we reach for when a customer says a rigid part is not working. If you have a project in mind, our build and ship service handles design through delivery anywhere in the US.
I need a part shaped to fit a person or an odd surface. Can someone 3D print one from a scan?
Yes. A 3D scanner captures the exact shape of a person, tool, or surface in minutes, and that scan becomes the starting geometry for a printed part that fits it precisely. This is the same scan-to-print workflow Kalogon uses for cushions, and it works for far more than seating: brackets that must hug a curved housing, replacement parts for discontinued equipment, and fixtures that hold odd-shaped workpieces. Our 3D scanning and reverse engineering service does exactly this: we scan the original, rebuild clean CAD, and print the part in the right material, all in the USA.
By the way, if you make a scanner, filament, or printing hardware you would like us to put through real production work, we review products from the operator's chair. Reach out at info@dcadditivepros.com.
Frequently asked questions
How is a 3D printed lattice cushion different from a foam cushion?
A printed lattice can vary firmness zone by zone across one piece, while molded foam has one firmness throughout. Kalogon also reports its open lattice allows airflow, sheds liquids, and weighs up to two pounds less than an average cushion.
How long does it take to get a custom 3D printed part made?
Typically days to a couple of weeks, not months. Kalogon commits to shipping custom cushions within 14 days of an order, and small custom parts from a shop like ours usually ship in under a week once the design is approved.
What material are flexible 3D printed lattice parts made from?
Usually an elastomer, a rubber-like polymer such as TPU. Kalogon prints Verro Lattice from a proprietary lightweight elastomer. The lattice geometry, not just the material, sets how soft or firm each zone feels.
Can a 3D print shop make a replacement part for a discontinued product?
Yes. If the original part still exists in any condition, it can be 3D scanned, rebuilt as CAD, and reprinted in a suitable material. This is a core service at DC Additive Pros.
DC Additive Pros is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Kalogon or Fabbaloo. Product names and trademarks, including Kalogon and Verro, belong to their respective owners and are used here for identification only. This article is educational and is not medical advice; wheelchair cushion selection should be guided by a qualified clinician. Claims about the Verro cushion are drawn from the company's announcement and trade press coverage and are self reported by Kalogon, not independently verified by us.