On June 5th, 2016 New balance announced at the Digital Factory manufacturing conference that in an effort to expand their 3D printed shoes to a larger market after they announced they had struck a deal with Fromlabs who would help them produce these services on a larger scale.
Both the Boston based companies will join forces to develop the product that is based on improving athlete performance. “Production for these will be done with the use of Form 2, one of the best-selling stereolithography apparatus printing engine that is best known for having printed 10 million parts.” “New Balance is excited to work with fellow Boston-based Formlabs on our next evolution in 3D printing. We have been a leader with 3D printing technology for many years, when we were the first to bring customized spike plates to our professional runners and have expanded into other sports since then. Now we look forward to taking this technology to consumers to further improve athlete performance,” said Rob DeMartini, New Balance President and CEO, during the manufacturing conference. “Formlabs’ CEO Max Lobovsky has stated that 95% of their company’s existing clienteles are comprised of professionals and companies, with a small percentage of hobbyists partaking in the 3D printing fad. Their deal with New Balance will effectively push them towards direct manufacturing, proving that even startups can manage cater their 3D printing technologies for bigger industries.” “New Balance’s move also makes them one of the first companies that will take advantage of small scale manufacturing. By 2018, the athletic brand will be using Formlabs’ system to produce customized 3D printed footwear, akin to what Adidas has been doing with their Speedfactory.” References: Running Shoes Guru, Christine Celis, June 26th 2017 : https://www.runningshoesguru.com/2017/06/new-balance-teams-up-with-formlab-to-3d-print-footwear/
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3D printing technologies are growing as a vital format for improving sports performance. With many new ways for people to par take in sport whether it be cycling, football, golf, and running, we made our Top 10 list of the best application of 3D printing in sports. 1. 3D printed prosthesis for a cyclist"Denise Schindler, a one-armed German rider, recently became the first female athlete to compete in the Olympics with a 3D printed prosthesis. This work was done together with the Autodesk publisher for the design of the custom-made prosthesis. It took five days to print at five times the cost of a traditional model." This venture allowed people to see the benefits that 3D printing can have on sport. In this scenario 3D printing allowed this athlete an opportunity to represent her country in the Olympics. This dream she had as a young girl was only made possible by the wonders of 3D printing. It is clear 3D printing has came a long way by making this equipment available in five days however 3D printing companies must find a way to lower costs if they hope to become a viable source of equipment in the long term future. 2. The 3D printed race car"This project undertaken by a team of Belgian engineers is ground-breaking to say the least. The race car itself is called ‘The Areion’, and it closely resembles a Formula 1 car. It is also very powerful single-seat car. It’s metal chassis has been printed in 3D which can reach a maximum speed of 140 km/h, doing 0 to 100 in just 3.2 seconds". While the cars top speed is somewhat lacking compared to Formula 1 cars it is still a massive leap forward in terms of production of these cars. It is a good starting place for this industry which will allow other teams to take these technologies and add to it in order to achieve the speeds currently attained within the sport. 3. Football protection mask"London-based Cavendish Imaging attempted to help players play with any injury by providing them with suitable protection for injuries such as a broken nose. Using the latest 3D software, they are able to scan every detail of the athlete to 3D print a custom protection mask for maximum comfort during the match to not aggravate the injury". This innovation reduces the period of inactivity related to an injury, but quite importantly it also prevents further harm to the injury whilst it heals. 4. 3D golf clubs"This is the latest invention of “French brand Grismont who decided to combine design and quality to offer unique and tailor-made golf clubs. The start-up has called on designers Pierre-Yves Jacques and Linlin for the design and the Proto company based in Belfort for manufacturing”. This latest breakthrough will open the door to golfers possibly printing their own golf clubs and other equipment at home before their round allowing them to cut down on the initial cost of golf clubs. I believe this is the future of golf club production. 5. 3D Printed road bikeColorFabb made a change from making 3D printer filaments, deciding to venture into the marketing of 3D printing a road bike. The most interesting thing is that the 3D printer used to make these parts is a simple Ultimaker Original meaning that it is a simple product to create at home as it only needs one of the orgininal 3D printers made. “The result lives up to expectations with a strong and lightweight bike!” 6. Shin guards printed in 3D“This innovation was designed and created the Austrian firm Zweikampf. These shin guards provide better resistance to blows through three layers of protection, with weight reduced to a few tens of grams”. In addition, the shin guards are made breathable and are custom made for maximum comfort. 7. 3D printed running shoes“American Allyson Félix will be the first athlete to compete at the Olympic Games equipped with 3D printed shoes. She partnered with Nike to design sneakers with the lower part, the tips, personalized and printed in 3D to offer maximum comfort and speed”. 8. 3D Printed Skis“American manufacturer Stratasys 3D printed a set of skis in 2014. These skis are equipped with 3D printed parts from FDM machines in the Stratasys range. For the material, the manufacturer used ULTEM 9085, a thermoplastic offering mechanical resistance and thermal resistance”. 9. 3D printed mouthguard“This concept was developed by Guardlab, a New York-based company specializing in customizing tooth protectors through 3D printing. The manufacturing is carried out so as to protect the impacts for the sports of contacts by offering an optimal comfort to each sportsman”. 10. The Reebok sensor“In early 2015, the English equipment manufacturer developed an innovative sensor through 3D printing that can detect the severity of a head shock in real time. The brand combined several technologies and materials to create extremely precise prototypes. The Reebok Checklight includes various sensors to quickly analyze the intensity, speed or angle of a shock to the head and primarily targets football players”. References: 3D Natives, Jamie D, November 22 2015 : https://www.3dnatives.com/en/top-10-3d-printing-sport-131120174/ In March 2016 Under Armour launched their very own special addition if 3D Printed shoes called UA Architect will rival the Baltimore based brands competitors in this market such as New Balance, Nike and Adidas. The shoe will feature a 3D Printed midsole and a 3D Printed upper design which helps give the user a perfect fit.
According to Under Armour, “The training shoe was conceptualized during a two-year research and development process that Under Armour says involved the study of geometric shapes and structures to come up with the midsole design.” Under Armour only produced 96 of these special edition trainers and sold them for $299.99 in America. In November 2017 Under Armour announced that they would be entering into a partnership with EOS who happen to be a supplier of industrial 3D printing equipment. This was down in an attempt to help Under Armour finally crack the 3D printing world of shoes and under sports equipment. “This partnership is set to achieve Under Armour’s goal to industrialize and scale 3D printing of performance footwear,” Glynn Fletcher, President of EOS North America, said in a statement. “True additive manufacturing has come to Under Armour; no other athletic brand can make this statement.” This partnership was formed in an effort to help Under Armour to add modern technology to its already impressive line up. References: Fortune, March 8th 2016: http://fortune.com/2016/03/08/under-armour-3d-printing/ Sports Techie, November 29th 2017: https://www.sporttechie.com/armour-scales-3d-printing-efforts-footwear/ 3D Printing has always been on the rise in sport since the beginning of sport in the 1980’s. It has only taken off recently mostly because in 2014 Nike printed the Nike Vapor Hyper Agility Cleat to help increase athletic agility performance in specific football drills. Nike have also developed shin pads that are 3D printed along with a limited-edition duffel bag with a 3D printed bottom which they gave to the players at the 2014 Soccer World Cup. Nike has been the leading brand when it comes to 3D Printing in Sport as they attempt to develop better protection in sport by using lightweight and shock absorbed material. According to Sport Digest they feel a move to Nike developing NFL Helmets would be hugely beneficial. They say “Helmets that could be stronger, more lightweight, breathable, and more effective in the prevention of concussions.”
References : Online Article from The Sport Digest 2015 - http://thesportdigest.com/2015/07/3d-printing-a-future-in-the-sports-industry/ |
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