The Use of 3D Printing Technology in the Footwear Industry

This report examines the role of 3D printing technology in the footwear industry, focusing on FDM and SLA technologies. It discusses the advantages, such as reduced costs for sole unit molds and increased design flexibility, and disadvantages, including material limitations and the slow speed of production. The report highlights that while 3D printing offers opportunities for customized and innovative footwear designs, challenges remain in terms of material strength, production speed, and overall cost-effectiveness. It concludes that 3D printing holds a significant position in the footwear industry, enabling efficient modeling and potential client demonstrations, but further development is needed for widespread adoption in mass production.

Running: 3D PRINTING 0
Management

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Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Types of 3D printing technology in footwear industry: FDM and SLA....................................2
Pros of 3D printing technology in footwear industry.................................................................3
Cons of 3D printing technology in footwear industry...............................................................3
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................4
References..................................................................................................................................5

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Introduction
In recent time, it is true that 3D printing technology plays an essential role. It can also be used
to develop the new manufacturing process. It also provides the various opportunities and
possibilities for Footwear industry. 3D printing technology also helps the shoemakers to
manufacture the medium and small-customized parts in very less time. 3D printing has
influenced the many industries in recent days including g footwear industry. It also helps the
company to show the role model to potential client that results in saving its time as well as
cost. Among all the 3D printing technologies, FDM and SLA proves to be effective for the
footwear industry.
Types of 3D printing technology in footwear industry:
 Digital Light Processing
 Stereolithography
 Fused deposition modelling
 Selective laser melting
 Selective laser sintering
 Electronic beam melting
 Laminated object manufacturing
FDM and SLA
SLA that is stereolithography is said to be addictive manufacturing that helps in converting
the liquid materials into the solid parts systematically. It is done by selectively preserving
them by using a light source that is called photopolymerization. Footwear industry uses this
3D technology in order to create the models, patterns, production parts, as well as prototypes.
It has allowed the footwear industry as well as various other industries to come up with the
innovative and new solutions for midsoles, insoles, and outsoles with unique designs [1]. It
also offers the improved performance that cannot be accomplished with the use of traditional
techniques. This technique allows footwear industries to speedily make the small as well as
medium size of customized parts for athletes.

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Fused deposition modelling is a technology used in footwear industry for modelling,
production application, and prototyping [2]. This is the most used 3D printing. It basically
work on the addictive principle by stating down the material in layers. FDM technology is
also known as the solid based AM technology. In the plastic industry, a plastic filament is
relaxed from a coil. After this, it delivers material to extrusion nozzle that can turn the flow
off and on. Therefore, it is an exactly controlled drive that further pushes the filament into the
nozzle. Then, the nozzle is heated in order to melt the material. As a result, this technology
provides the freedom to designer to give their customers a fashion forward or more unique
footwear in order to express them better. In recent time, most of the designer use this type for
customisation and prototyping in order to expand the high fashion as well as sneakers to the
specialised equipment and insoles [7].
Pros of 3D printing technology in footwear industry
One of the significant plus point for footwear industry by using 3D printing is the cost of
producing sole unit molds. It is true that generally every sole molds the stars in dollars that
depend on the complexity of product. Every mold is better for one shoe size. Therefore, if an
industry likes to produce the full size range, it will be around $15000, before it will even start
the production. In this way, 3D printing not only allows the big brands but also allows the
less established or small brands to create soles in fraction of cost as well as time [6]. In
footwear industry, 3D printing technology helps in cutting the time considerably and allows
more experimentation in long run [3]. Modelling through 3D printing makes easier for
designer to show the rotational version to all the entire potential client. Footwear industry
also finds the creative and innovation way through the help of 3D printing technology. With
the help of extra flexibility through the 3D printing, footwear designers can react to the
several conditions being applied to the fresh ideas quickly. It is also true that a 3D printing
programs has not developed fully and properly yet, therefore, it does not require too much
expertise and experience for the full functionality.
Cons of 3D printing technology in footwear industry
Several footwear industries claim that the materials that are available to the 3D printing are
still not sufficient. The routine of printing soles is purely for the specialized footwear, not for
any general or simple performance application [4]. In addition, it is also claimed that due to

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the use of layer by layer technology for creating 3D printed parts, it is recently weaker as
compare to the traditionally manufactured parts. 3D printed soles also have considerable
weakness in the Z-axis. In the terms of layman, it can also be said that it is strong in one
direction and weak in other direction.
Due to the “production method of layering”, there is also some work that left to create the
professional and complete look of the total produced product [8]. There is also a requirement
of overall smoothness in the production of footwear is it want to make the fully or partially
3D printed shoe. Recently, both the 3D printing machine and software are expensive and
even complicated. When the adaptability of machine will increase, then only the benefit will
outweigh the initial cost. The biggest disadvantage with the 3D printer is that it takes too
much time in manufacturing a single product [5]. It means that the speed of printing is quite
slow. In addition to this, it cannot be used for doing the mass production in the industry due
to inclusion of too much cost. In the footwear industry, it consumes too much cost in making
the 3D print of one model.
Conclusion
In the limelight of above discussion, it can be concluded that 3D printing technology holds an
essential position in the footwear industry. By using the 3D printing technology, it can easily
make the modelling of product step by step. Using this, it can also show the potential model
to client so that it will move further.

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References
[1] C., Weller., R., Kleer and F.t., Piller, “Economic implications of 3D printing: Market
structure models in light of additive manufacturing revisited,” International journal of
production economics, Vol. 164, PP. 43-56 , 2015.
[2] L. Gaget, 3D printed shoes: How 3D printing revolutionizes the footwear industry, 2017,
Available: https://www.sculpteo.com/blog/2017/10/31/3d-printed-shoes-how-3d-printing-
revolutionize-the-footwear-industry/
[3] J. Peels, If the shoe fits: 3D Printing and the future of Manufacturing footwear, Available:
https://3dprint.com/174833/3d-printing-future-of-footwear/
[4] D. Bailey, The Pros and Cons of 3D technology in the footwear industry, Available:
https://www.complex.com/sneakers/2013/09/pros-cons-3d-technology-footwear-industry
[5] N. Mishra, “3D Printing technology,” Science horizon, 43, 2014.
[6] 3D natives, “3D printing in footwear: disrupting the shoe industry?,” 2019, Available:
https://www.3dnatives.com/en/3d-printing-in-footwear-disrupting-industry-020120194/
[7] J. Murthy, “Limitations of 3D printing: why traditional processes still have an edge,”
2017, Available: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/limitations-3d-printing-james-murphy
[8] A. Pearson, “Disadvantages of 3D Printing Technology,” 2018, Available:
https://3dinsider.com/3d-printing-disadvantages/