{"id":97303,"date":"2020-05-28T15:15:00","date_gmt":"2020-05-28T07:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/facfox.com\/?p=97303"},"modified":"2020-05-28T15:15:00","modified_gmt":"2020-05-28T07:15:00","slug":"3d-printing-shoes-who-are-in-the-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/news\/3d-printing-shoes-who-are-in-the-game\/","title":{"rendered":"3D Printing Shoes: Who are in the Game?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The global footwear industry generated revenues of about $260 billion in 2018 and is expected to grow at around 4% CAGR for the next ten years, totaling around $400 billion by 2029. The segment is mature and growing steadily as hundreds of millions of people around the world\u2014especially in emerging economies\u2014are now able to afford quality footwear.<\/p>\n

Within this scenario, AM is expected to play an increasingly important role on several fronts. These include increased adoption in segments where the benefits of AM are consolidated, such as prototyping and indirect manufacturing (i.e. 3D printing of molds and cast patterns for mold production), as well as increased automation for mass production of shoes and other footwear products.<\/p>\n

What 3D printing technologies are used for footwear manufacturing?<\/b><\/h2>\n

The most common group of 3D printing technologies used in footwear production today is vat photopolymerization<\/b>. This group encompasses resin-based technologies like Stereolithography and Digital Light Processing and Carbon\u2019s Digital Light Synthesis (DLS).<\/p>\n

These technologies are based on a similar process, whereby a light source (a laser, a projector or light-emitting diodes) is applied to a liquid resin layer by layer, causing it to solidify.<\/p>\n

High accuracy, fast printing speeds, and compatibilities with flexible and springy materials, like TPU, silicone and elastic polyurethane, typical for sports shoes, have made resin-based 3D printing technologies a viable production solution.<\/p>\n

In addition to resin-based technologies, shoemakers are also adopting powder-based technologies, like Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) and HP\u2019s Multi Jet Fusion (MJF).<\/p>\n

These are also optimized to work with elastomeric materials and offer a fast printing speed. However, unlike resin-based technologies typically used for midsoles, SLS and MJF are more commonly used in the production of insoles.<\/p>\n

As we will see in the article and chart below, each of these leading footwear AM companies is targeting different footwear final parts and products, relying on different technologies and materials. However, there are some common trends that are based on the overall macro trend of advanced manufacturing: mass customization and digital mass production. Let\u2019s kick it into gear.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adidas<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Application(s):<\/strong> Lattice Mass Produced Midsoles<\/p>\n

Technology:<\/strong> DLS (Digital Light Synthesis)<\/p>\n

Technology provider: Carbon<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Material:<\/strong> Polyurethane<\/p>\n

Digital Data:<\/strong> Generative design<\/p>\n

Although it was the latest major footwear company to make a public move into 3D printing of final parts, adidas is the brand that has made the most significant steps toward implementing additive manufacturing in footwear mass production. The company has already produced over 100,000 pairs of shoes with plastic midsoles made via a new 3D technology using Carbon\u2019s Digital Light Synthesis technology (a type of layerless photopolymerization). Now the company has confirmed it is ramping up that production to millions of units in the coming years. Adidas already has access to enough printers from Carbon to make one million pairs of 3D printed sneakers. The process uses a special type of durable and flexible liquid resin which is a combination of thermoset polyurethane and a photopolymerization agent.<\/p>\n