3D printing in the footwear industry
The participation of big brands in new additive manufacturing technologies.
According to the analyst specializing in additive industry AM (additive manufacturing) Davide Sher, 3D footwear printing will grow US $ 6.3 billion over the next 10 years (according to the latest report by SmarTech Publishing).
Most of it will go to five large AM footwear companies that have made significant investments in the development of manufacturing of digital footwear.
ADIDAS, NIKE, UNDER ARMOR, NEW BALANCE and REEBOOK, have focused on different pieces and final products of footwear, based on various technologies and materials.
The company has already produced more than 100,000 pairs of plastic midsoles sneakers made through a new 3D technology that uses CARBON Digital Light Synthesis (a type of photopolymerization without layers).
ADIDAS currently has enough CARBON printers to make a million pairs of 3D printed sneakers. The process uses a special type of durable and flexible liquid resin that is a combination of thermostable polyurethane and a photopolymerization agent.
It was one of the first brands to make intensive use of 3D printing in the development of high-performance products, using technology for rapid printing of functional parts. The highest-profile project led by NIKE was the Vapor Laser Talon, the first 3D printed soccer cleat designed specifically to provide optimal traction on the football pitch and help athletes maintain their posture for longer. 3D printing allowed testing, printing and creating shapes that are not possible with traditional manufacturing processes, which helped to overcome innovation limits.
One of its products is the Zante Generate sneaker with 3D printed midsole in association with 3D Systems in 2016. It was the first running shoe printed in 3D that was commercialized.
The recent incorporation by NEW BALANCE of Russell Finex's automated finishing technologies in its AM laboratory indicates that the company is working to increase the use of 3D printing as a means to automate the midsole manufacturing processes.
The sportswear brand that has made innovation a key element of its strategy is also among the first to adopt AM (additive manufacturing). UA Architech is a sneaker line that features a 3D printed midsole. The first product of the Architect line was introduced in 2016, designed with Autodesk software and produced using EOS SLS technology. The second, the UA Futurist, was presented in 2017 and features 3D printed midsole using a TPU material.
In 2018, it debuted with the Liquid Floatride Run sneaker, developed from a 3D design process. In 2016, REEBOK launched its “liquids” factory in Rhode Island, which uses a pneumatic extrusion system based on a robotic arm to directly manufacture the upper part of the shoe instead of using molds.
Its main feature is the “liquid” laces that are printed in 3D directly on the top of the shoe.
Source: 3dprintingmedia.network
