Adidas reveals the first 3D-printed shoe it'll mass-produce

James Vincent for The Verge:  Adidas has been playing around with 3D printing as a manufacturing method for a while now, but its latest sneaker — the Futurecraft 4D — might be its most ambitious creation yet. The mid-sole of the shoe is created using a process known as Continuous Liquid Interface Production, in which the design is essentially pulled out of a vat of liquid polymer resin, and fixed into its desired shape using ultraviolet light.

The Silicon Valley company that created the method, Carbon, say it’s faster and more adaptable than traditional additive printing, and can make mass-production 3D printing a reality. Carbon is financed by funds set up by Google and General Electric, and say its methods allow for companies to go from design to product faster than ever. They also claim the final materials are more robust and flexible than traditional injection moulded plastics.  Full Article:

Comments (0)

This post does not have any comments. Be the first to leave a comment below.


Post A Comment

You must be logged in before you can post a comment. Login now.

Featured Product

Using AI to Collect & Leverage Data

Using AI to Collect & Leverage Data

Data is the foundation of Industry 4.0. While skilled workers will always be essential, data is reshaping the manufacturing landscape, enabling automation of repetitive tasks, empowering smarter decision-making with AI assistance, and reducing defects and downtime. This shift allows small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) to compete more effectively on quality, speed, and cost. While AI and machine learning systems typically require around two years to collect enough data to reach their full potential, manufacturers can start seeing benefits almost immediately with basic analysis tools and dashboards. Our MEP National NetworkTM expert explains how in this Manufacturing Tomorrow article.