With the 23rd Winter Olympic Games underway in PyeongChang, South Korea, Chris Mazdzer became the first U.S. athlete to medal in the men’s singles. The Minnesota-based branch of the company has done its Olympic duty.  By lending its FDM technology to prototyping and tooling the fastest sled possible. 3D printing winter Olympics is amazing, isn’t it? let’s have a look at it!

Stratasys partnered with the team to 3D print molds for customized parts. Therefore, the team then implemented into sled prototypes. The quick pace of the turnaround of new molds enabled. The team to make quick changes to sleds and experiment with new designs closer-than-ever to the start of the competition. Two U.S. athletes, Justin Krewson and Andrew Sherk of the men’s doubles. I even used some of the 3D-printed molds for parts on their sleds during competition at PyeongChang.

3D printing to the demands of the Luge

Luge is a sport involving one- or two-person sleds. Therefore, can reach speeds of nearly 90 miles per hour. Athletes race face-up and feet-first down an icy track. They steer the sled by either using their calves to flex the runners or by using their shoulders to shift their weight.

When a sled part is being made, a mold, also called a tool, is created to form the part’s shape. Any design change in the sled calls for a new tool. Hence, which can normally take several weeks to create.

One of the biggest advantages of using 3D printing is customization. Traditionally, athletes would all use one generic sled. Now sleds can be made as long or as wide as an individual athlete and in a fraction of the time.

“We need precision and we also need the ability to make tweaks and 3D printing. Is where it’s at for this kind of thing,” said Gordy Sheer, marketing director for USA Luge and a 1998 doubles luge silver medalist. “As we learn more about aerodynamics and optimizing our designs. Therefore it’s nice to be able to have the ability to make those changes quickly.”

It is not the first time that 3d printing gives an Olympic athlete a chance to compete:

In 2016, Brooks Running and FATHOM were come together to prototype a pair of personalized sprinting shoes featuring 3D printed spike plates for American decathlete Jeremy Taiwo.

3d Printing For Footwear

Creating a spike plate with the correct flex, stiffness, and rebound is critical to a fast start and sustained speed. For a track and field athlete, especially a decathlete. In order to test a design, shoe manufacturers would traditionally rely on injection or compression molded parts. A process that takes a long time to prep and produces. Just getting from concept to prototypes to manufactured parts can take up months. Therefore, especially if there are design changes that affect the production tools.

By leveraging a blended approach, using 3D printing early on in development. Hence, all the way through production, teams are drastically compressing product development timelines and reducing the total cost of ownership. The companies are making products better and faster for their customers.

It goes to show there is a big market for 3D printed shoes. Although it may take some time until all consumers see the merit of purchasing such a pair. There are many companies available who will help you in getting the shoe exactly as you want. Hence, there is a lot of buzz going around the 3D Printed industry and everyone wants to make a mark of its own.

If you are a 3d Printing Passionist you actually can 3D print your own stuff. That can be more comfortable and appealing to cater to your demands. 3D printing also made it remark by 3D printing winter Olympics 2018 yes or no? Get a 3D printer right now just at Store.

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You can get your own 3D printed shoes with all the customizations you want, ain’t that great? These companies are helping you get the shoe exactly as you want.There is a lot of buzz going around the 3D Printed industry and everyone wants to make a mark of its own.

It goes to show there is a big market for 3D printed shoes, although it may take some time until all consumers see the merit of purchasing such a pair. The companies below feel now is the time to experiment with 3D printed footwear, that much is certain.

Nike

In this long race, Nike is obviously in the forefront. It is developing prototypes and has partnered with Prodways to consume the manufacturing cost and time and creating more comfort for the users. Nike is gonna develop prototypes from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material. Basically, the outsoles, insoles, and midsoles will be 3d printed.The CEO of Nike Mark Parker said: “We have embraced sustainable innovation as a powerful engine for growth and a catalyst for change.”

They are developing their products in all the new eco-friendly way, all the products are 71% recycled. With the aim to grow further, Nike is thinking of developing products which are 100% recycled.It entered in 2013 with the Nike Vapor Laser Talon Football kit, which became the first 3D printed plate to be used in the sports.

It developed another shoe that is the hyper agility kit for better agility.Nike released the Air Zoom KD9  which offers wearers support, comfort, and responsiveness via the most cohesive pairing of Nike Flyknit and Zoom Air technologies to date, modified for the needs and demands of basketball. Nike has partnered with HP to focus more on 3D Printing.It is focusing more on the athletic performance of the shoe rather than lifestyle.

Adidas

Adidas had taken a great care of the cushioning needs of an individual by making a unique 3D printed running shoe midsole called as Futurecraft 3D.The mass production 3D printing can be turned into reality by using the method Carbon developed by Silicon Valley.

Creating a flexible, fully breathable carbon copy of the athlete’s own footprint, matching exact contours and pressure points, it will set the athlete up for the best running experience. Linked with existing data sourcing and foot scan technologies, it opens unique opportunities for immediate in-store fittings.

Under Armour

In March 2016 Under Armour has debuted 96 shoes with the 3D Printing technology. They have made a 3D-printed lattice structure midsole and 3D-printed upper design for the shoes. The uniqueness is hybrid of stability and cushioning.Under Armour has announced The Architect for its star athlete Michael Phelps ahead of the Rio Olympics.

Under Armour is still figuring out whether they want to compete Nike in the sports section or continue their presence with 3D Printing in Lifestyle like Adidas.

New Balance

New Balance had used the users’ biomechanical data to make customizable spike plates so that the athletes going for long races have improved performance for the 2012 US Olympic Athlete, Kim Conley; 2012 Great Britain Olympic athlete, Barbara Parker; and four-time all-American runner in the 800m, 1500m, and the mile, Jack Bolas.They released there first 3d printed shoe for the public called the Zante Generate.

The 3D-printed midsoles were created by converting new powder material into solid cross-sections, which in turn achieved an optimal balance of flexibility, strength, weight, and durability due in large part because of the hundreds of small, open cells that provided cushioning and structure.

If you are a sneaker fan and also a 3d Printing Passionist you actually can 3D print your own shoe which can be more comfortable and appealing to cater your demands. Hurry up and get a 3D printer right now just at Geeetech.

Credits: Highsnobiety.com, 3dprint.com.

The popular footwear company New Balance is going full force into the realm of 3D print and design, having already announced that they are equipping their new running shoe line with 3D printed midsoles, following suit with their competitor Adidas and their own 3D printed Futurecraft insoles. Furthering their material investment in 3D printing, New Balance has announced a partnership with Massachusetts-based 3D design studio Nervous System to craft the design of the midsoles.

“New Balance came to us with a problem,” said Nervous System. “They wanted to improve the design and creation of their 3D-printed midsoles to better adapt to performance data from runners.”

Using Nervous System’s Sports Research Lab, the studio performed a number of sensor-based experiments with New Balance’s 3D printed midsoles. The sensor system were used to record the force of the runner’s foot as it both hits and pushes off of the ground. The team was then able to 3D print an optimized and supportive midsole using laser sintering and flexible elastomer material, allowing runners to rest their feet comfortably upon the custom-designed midsole.

The Nervous System team also looked into utilizing naturally occurring foam material (wood or bone-based foams. for example) to quickly create a tough and lightweight custom-fitted midsole. “Foam structures are three-dimensional arrays of cells,” the Nervous System team added, “they have a low relative density and are highly porous, giving them the unique property of being both lightweight and strong.”The complex and enhanced design  that Nervous System put together is as aesthetically pleasing as it is structurally sound. But, believe it or not, the intriguing design actually complements the foot support, containing more tightly knitted holes in the areas of the foot that need more support than others (such as the ball or heel of the foot).

“To deliver this level of performance with a 3D-printed component, we paired experts in running and biomechanics with leaders in plastics engineering, material development and generative design,” said Sean Murphy, senior manager of innovation and engineering at New Balance. “These are the types of collaborations that will drive footwear design and manufacturing in the future.”

Thanks in part to Nervous System and 3D printing technology more generally, New Balance has become deeply invested in using 3D printing for their forthcoming footwear line. With Nervous System’s informed designs, New Balance will be able to manufacture shoes with optimal comfort and performance, making sure that each custom-designed midsole provides the best support to each individual runner.

German sports brand Adidas has unveiled a 3D-printed shoe sole that can be tailored to the exact contours of the wearer’s feet.

The fully flexible and breathable Futurecraft soles are composed of latticed layers, created in partnership with 3D-printing company Materialise.

Although the sole is still at prototype stage, the brand hopes foot-scanning technology will allow consumers to buy running shoes that have been minutely customised and produced in-store.

Using 3D scanning and printing, the soles would precisely replicate the individual shapes of wearers’ feet, taking into account specific pressure points and requirements to create more supportive running shoes.

“Futurecraft 3D is a prototype and a statement of intent,” said Adidas executive board member Eric Liedtke.

“We have used a one-of-its-kind combination of process and material in an entirely new way,” Liedtke added. “Our 3D-printed midsole not only allows us to make a great running shoe, but also to use performance data to drive truly bespoke experiences, meeting the needs of any athlete.”

Earlier in the year, the sports brand unveiled a pair of trainers designed by musician Pharell Wisslliams in partnership with Zaha Hadid, as well as a prototype shoe with an upper made from plastic salvaged from the ocean.

The 3D-printed sole is the first stage in Adidas’ Futurecraft initiative, which has been established as an opportunity for Adidas to develop open source partnerships with creative and manufacturing specialists.

The sports brand aims to launch a series of design innovations across the next six months. In an interview with Dezeen, United Nude founder Rem D Koolhaas said that sports brands have been leading a “technological innovation” in shoe design that is way ahead of the fashion industry.

“Futurecraft is our sandbox. It is how we challenge ourselves every day to explore the boundaries of our craft,” said creative director Paul Gaudio.

“Driving material and process innovation, bringing the familiar into the future. Marrying the qualities of handcrafting and psrototyping with the limitless potential of new manufacturing technologies. Futurecraft is stripped back – fast, raw and real – it is our approach to design,” he added.