ITECH 1100 - Analyzing the Impact of 3D Printing on Footwear Industry

This report explores the transformative impact of 3D printing on the footwear industry. It examines how 3D printing can reduce production and inventory costs, while also addressing regulatory and ethical considerations based on Lawrence Lessig’s framework. The report details the potential disruption caused by 3D printing, outlining the necessary steps for implementation, including planning, risk management, and decision-making processes. It highlights the benefits for various departments within the footwear industry and discusses how 3D printing can enhance processes like cloud-based additive manufacturing, product customization, and agile tooling. The analysis emphasizes the compatibility of 3D printing with other technologies and its potential to revolutionize manufacturing business models, improve customization, and create new business opportunities. Figures are included to illustrate the before-and-after effects of implementing 3D printing technology.

Running head: IMPACT OF THE 3D PRINTING IN FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY
Impact of 3D printing on the footwear Industry
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1IMPACT OF THE 3D PRINTING IN FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY
Table of Contents
Part 1: Research...............................................................................................................................2
Part 2: Brainstorming.......................................................................................................................3
Part 3: Regulation and Ethics..........................................................................................................3
Part 4: Disruption.............................................................................................................................4
Description of the process...........................................................................................................4
Components would be affected by the change............................................................................5
Reference.........................................................................................................................................0

2IMPACT OF THE 3D PRINTING IN FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY
Part 1: Research
The main objective of this proposal is to identify the impact of 3D printing on the
footwear industry.
3D printing can be defined as the type of technology which provides a wide range of
services to their consumers in terms of three-dimensional objects. The workers of this industry
either solidify or joints variety of materials layer by layer in a sequential format. Rapid
prototyping is very much required for managing this type of technology. Additive manufacturing
is the other category of 3D printing. Complex shapes and geometries are possible using 3D
printing (Xiong et al. 2017). Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) is hugely benefitted from the
use of 3D printing technology. Most of the convention machines processes of each industry is
significantly benefited from the use of 3D printing. The different categories of the 3D printing
processes are sheet lamination, supplies extrusion, binder jetting, VAT photo-polymerization
material jetting, and power bed fusion. This technology is increasingly used in industries such as
footwear industry and manufacturing industries.
Footwear Industry: It can be defined as the type of industry which provides services
such as the different categories of footwear and all the other accessories associated with the
footwear such as the socks, hosiery items and other footwear products. This industry has to
maintain international standards as the product offered by this industry can have an undesirable
impact on the consumers of this industry (Arribas and Alfaro 2018). The prime product offered
by this industry is the wide range of footwear which can help the consumers of this industry from
environmental threats such as ground temperature, several injuries can be restricted due to the

3IMPACT OF THE 3D PRINTING IN FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY
use of the footwear. Providing comfort and relief are the main organizational objective of the
footwear industry. This industry uses a wide range of technologies in the business environment
such as the 3D printing technology, block chain technology and robotics technology. Importing
and exporting of the products is the main business prospect of this industry.
Part 2: Brainstorming
 The production as well as the inventory cost of the internal stakeholders of the footwear
industry can be reduced using the 3D printing.
 3D printing technology is widely used in numerous industries, such as the footwear
industry and manufacturing industries.
 Technologies such as big data technology can work in association with 3D printing
technology in the footwear industry.
Part 3: Regulation and Ethics
The inventory cost as well as the production cost of the footwear industry can be reduced
if 3D printing technology is used in the working environment of footwear industry (Weller,
Kleer and Piller 2015). The four different factors which can make this happen are discussed
below considering the regulations of Lawrence Lessig’s.
o Law: International standards can be maintained using 3D printing technology as well.
o Market: 3D printing can also be helpful to meet the expectation of the consumers of the
footwear industry.
o Norms: Maintenance of the industrial standards can be done in an easier way using 3D
printing technology.

4IMPACT OF THE 3D PRINTING IN FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY
o Architecture: The entire architecture of the foot wear industry in terms of the activities
in the production rooms can be addressed using 3D printing technology as well.
Part 4: Disruption
The process of reduction of the inventory cost as well as the production cost in the
footwear can be done using the 3D printing technology (Tsai and Chen 2018). The sequence of
events which are required for these processes are described below.
o Events: Planning and designing of the 3D printing technology have to be done in a
professional manner.
o Activities: Risk management plan and the probable complexities should be identified in
the first place.
o Decision points: Experienced professionals who have years of experience working with
3D printing technology should be considered in this process.
o Actors: The external as well as internal stakeholders of this industry must know about the
sportive impact of this technology.
o Outcomes: The net profitability of the business can be improved significantly.
Description of the process
Each of the department of the footwear industry can be significantly benefited from the
application of 3D printing technology. The role of the professional architects is very much
important regarding the planning and the enactment of the 3d printing technology in the footwear
industry (Schmidt, Tseng and Rothenhaeusler 2018). 3D architects in the footwear can have a
huge role in the progress of the footwear industry as well (Das, Pandey and Banerjee 2016). Risk

5IMPACT OF THE 3D PRINTING IN FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY
management plan and the resource management plan is very much required during the enactment
of this advanced technology (Mavri 2015). Important business decisions are needed to be taken
for the enactment of the 3D printing technology as well. The management team of the footwear
industry must be understanding the impact of 3D printing in footwear manufacturing industries
(Meier et al. 2018). Both the construction and as well as the architecture needed can be improved
in the footwear can be significantly after the use of the 3D printing manufacturing technology
(Chandra, Patel and Singh 2016). Considering the actors of this process, it can be said that the
internal stakeholders of the footwear industry such as the managers and the workers of the
productions rooms can be significantly improved using the 3D printing technology as well (Liu
and Evans 2016). Thus, the positives of the 3d printing technology can be very much important
to minimise the inventory and well as the production cost.
Components would be affected by the change
Specific components of the processes such as the planning and designing of the plan of
enactment can be improved significantly after the enactment of the 3D printing manufacturing
technology. Each of the components of the footwear industry such as the cloud based additive
manufacturing, customization of the products, agile tooling and bio-printing can be enhanced
using the 3D manufacturing technology. Major decisions are needed to be taken by the strategic
managers of the footwear industry. Revolutionizing the manufacturing unit are the prime benefits
of the 3D printing technology as well (Balogun, Otanocha and Ibhadode 2018). The main
positives of the 3D printing technology is that it do not have any compatibility issue with the
other technologies which are increasingly used in the foot wear technologies such as the bid data
technology and robotics technology (Bonfanti, Del Giudice and Papa 2018). The manufacturing

6IMPACT OF THE 3D PRINTING IN FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY
business models of the footwear industry can be significantly affected due to the 3D printing
technology as well. The customization of the footwear according to the needs and expectation of
the consumers can be done in an organized manner using the 3d printing technology as well
(Brown et al. 2017). New business opportunities and new business ideas can also be created
using 3D printing technology.
Before the likely change
Figure 1: Before the use of 3D printing technology
(Source: Created by author)
After the likely change

7IMPACT OF THE 3D PRINTING IN FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY
Figure 2: After the use of 3D printing technology
(Source: Created by author)

Running head: IMPACT OF THE 3D PRINTING IN FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY
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1IMPACT OF THE 3D PRINTING IN FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY
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