Application of Shoe Mold Industry in 3D Printing
3D printing technology to bring a new revolution in the shoe mold industry
In traditional shoe manufacturing enterprises, brands need to provide production schematic diagrams and metal molds for shoe soles to factories before converting design inspiration into real objects. And this process will take about a month, and the produced samples are usually revised many times, and a new sample will be re-produced each time. Until the final version is determined, it takes a long time and has poor flexibility.
Shoemaker
Traditional Method
According to the sample provided by the customer, the 2D designer uses traditional measuring tools to measure the key positions of the sample.
Use measurement tools to measure key locations and record detailed data. Combined with the actual modeling of the model, the 2D designer uses Rhino software to unfold the measured data in two-dimensional form in the software.
The 3D sole data was created using Rhino software.
Cons：
1. There are errors in manual measurement, resulting in 3D data distortion；
2. Complex surface measurement is difficult；
3. Manual measurement is less efficient。
Since the advent of 3D printing technology, the significant advantages of 3D printing have been reflected in the design process. It can directly use the software to input the designer’s sample drawing into the printing device, and quickly get the real object. The whole process only takes a few hours. Even if you don’t have a 3D printer, you can also send the design to a 3D printing service company for printing. It takes one or two days, which is much faster than the traditional method, which effectively accelerates the speed of product update and iteration, and improves the production efficiency and competitiveness.
3D scanning technology
For the sole model samples with complex shapes and many curved surfaces, use a 3D scanner to obtain sample data with a higher degree of restoration.
Step 1: Use the turntable scanning mode of the EinScan-SP desktop 3D scanner to scan fully automatically, complete the scanning of the sole sample in eight minutes, automatically splice the data, and generate closed STL data with one click.
Step 2: Import the acquired data into Rhino software to create 3D data. Create finished 3D data in the software for post-processing.
Pros：
1. No need for drawing personnel;
2. Direct drawing based on 3D scanning data, more intuitive and efficient;
3. Samples with complex shapes and rich surfaces can be drawn accurately and conveniently;
4. It can be directly measured on the scanned data with small error.
The application of 3D printing in the shoe mold industry is mainly for foot orthopedics and professional sports shoes. In recent years, with the development of science and technology, major sports brands have begun to try to apply new technologies to their own products: Adidas and Nike have launched 3D printed running shoes, and Adidas has used ocean recycled waste to make running shoes, etc.
As early as 2019, the sports brand Peak launched the world’s first fully 3D printed shoe “Future Fusion”. According to some consumers, this pair of sneakers is good both in terms of performance and trendy style. Recently, Peak officially launched a pair of brand new 3D printed casual shoes——Peak “Future Evolve. The shoes are beautiful in color and fashionable in style, and have won the support of many fans.
3D printed shoe correction is mainly used in the insole, and it is used for patients with abnormal arches such as high arched feet and mild to moderate flat feet. Specifically, the digital model uses 3D printing technology to complete the production of orthopedic insoles, which has the characteristics of high precision, fast efficiency, and good molding; the 3D printing design is filled with a honeycomb structure, which can provide mechanical support from different angles.
Overall, the 3D printed orthopedic insole, designed through biomechanical principles, supports the arch of the foot to achieve three-point support of the foot, which can correct calcaneus valgus, balance plantar pressure, prevent correction of deformities, reduce foot fatigue and pain, increase the comfort of walking on both feet.
Some market research institutions pointed out that 3D printing of thermosetting materials through FDM extrusion technology may be one of the new trends that have emerged and developed in the past year. However, the footwear additive manufacturing market still relies heavily on stereolithography (SLA) and polymer powder bed fusion (SLS). In both cases, the key material for the end application is modified polyurethane. In powder bed fusion, the material expected to be widely used should be thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).
3D printing technology has a lot of room for development. In the past, wearable 3D printing was limited by factors such as printing materials, high cost, and technology. The better the printing effect and the higher the quality, the higher the price of equipment and materials. For consumers, whether they can accept 3D printed shoes, product quality and price are two major considerations. With the development of 3D printing wearables so far, whether it is equipment prices, materials, learning costs, etc., there have been earth-shaking changes, which directly broke the cognition of traditional industries. Its low-cost equipment and materials, the friendly user interface and common maintenance software community have made many traditional shoe manufacturers turn to digital 3D printing design technology.
As far as shoe manufacturing is concerned, personalized customization, sole hollow design, direct mold production, and smart insoles make the industrial application more and more radiant. In particular, digital production is combined with digital information management to enable intelligent scheduling, real-time monitoring, management, recording, and storage of customer needs from customization to production.
