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Jabil Steps Forward with 3D Printed Footwear

Product solutions company Jabil has been increasing its focus on additive manufacturing over the past few years, recently going so far as to introduce its cloud-based Jabil Additive Manufacturing Network. The company’s additive manufacturing offerings are broad, but currently Jabil is focusing on one area in particular – footwear. 3D printing is becoming a bigger part of the footwear industry, as everything from running shoes to ballet slippers are enhanced with the technology. Now Jabil wants to become a leader in 3D printed footwear, despite some stiff competition.

3D printed footwear really started with the production of 3D printed insoles, which Jabil had a hand – or a foot – in at an early stage. The company wants to take things a step or two further, though, with the production of 3D printed shoes and even, as one representative suggested, a fully 3D printed ski boot. Jabil named several advantages of 3D printing in footwear, including:

Customization

The problem with the current footwear standard is that shoes are made as not quite one size fits all, but a few sizes fit all. Shoe companies offer a range of sizes, but people’s feet come in all shapes, which don’t always conform to a standard size 8 or 9. 3D scanning and 3D printing allow shoes to be made to order, perfectly fitting each customer’s unique foot size and shape. This also greatly helps people who have orthopedic needs, whether they’re suffering from diabetes or back problems.

On-Demand Local Delivery

People in remote countries are often lacking in proper footwear, but 3D printing can produce shoes as-needed anywhere in the world. This is also important when considering the military, where durable, comfortable, well-fitting footwear is critical. A 3D printer could go a long way toward providing military personnel with new boots whenever and wherever they need them.

Flexibility in Materials

3D printing materials have come a long way, and the selection of flexible materials is greater than ever before. Jabil suggests taking advantage of Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) to create insoles, outsoles and other footwear components using materials such as EVA, PU and TPA.

Better Functionality

[Image: Reebok]

3D printing, simply, can create better shoes. With advanced materials available, shoes can be made to be more flexible, durable and functional no matter the application, whether military, athletic, orthopedic or simply leisure. They can be made to last longer, saving money and resources in the long run.

Jabil has a lot of competition in the 3D printed footwear market, as more and more traditional footwear brands begin to turn towards additive manufacturing and completely new companies dedicated to 3D printed footwear spring up. But Jabil benefits from years of expertise in 3D printing, and a knowledge of how to leverage the technology to quickly and thoroughly meet customers’ needs. Jabil offers parts production of performance footwear components such as insoles and midsoles, and uses DfAM to create parts consolidation and unique geometries. Its design services include topology optimization, as well as distributed production in local markets.

You can contact Jabil directly to find out more about its footwear and other manufacturing solutions.

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Ultrasonic Wondercutter Device Could Be Used to Cut Away Supports and Finish 3D Printed Parts

Unless you’re dealing with mainly small, handheld items, 3D printed parts rarely look much like their final form while still sitting on the build platform. In order to achieve functional 3D prints that look as good as they’re supposed to work, you have to take the time required for finishing and post-processing these said prints. From smoothing down and removing excess material to dissolving or breaking off supports, post-processing and finishing are both necessary evils when it comes to 3D printed parts.

Multiple companies in the 3D printing industry are working on ways to make post-processing faster, with ideas such as easy, high-speed support removal and using ultrasonic technology. This last is the path a company headquartered in Incheon, Korea, called Cutra Co., Ltd., took for its innovative Wondercutter product – an ultrasonic cutter.

At last year’s formnext show in Germany, Cutra first showcased its Wondercutter, which was originally conceptualized three years ago. In February of 2016, the company created its first Wondercutter prototype, with the second iteration completed that summer. Not long before Cutra launched its crowdfunding campaigns for the final Wondercutter prototype on Kickstarter and Indiegogo, it received a patent for the already award-winning device.

“Wondercutter is capable of cutting various materials such as plastic, PVC foam board, ABS, acrylic, and etc. We have been told from a lot of users that our product would be a great finishing tool for 3D printing industry,” Amy Jeon with Cutra’s Overseas Sales Department told 3DPrint.com.

The compact Wondercutter device comes in three colors – pink, silver, and turquoise – and is best suited for the ultrasonic cutting of 3-5 mm plastic, though it can also be used to cut materials such as felt, leather, rubber, and plywood; however, users should complete tests before using the Wondercutter with wood. For maximum efficiency, the Wondercutter is capable of emitting ultrasonic vibrations of 40,000 times per second, which constantly applies friction to materials.

The rechargeable device has built in batteries, which, coupled with its 750 g weight and 172 x 102 x 62 mm dimensions, makes it portable and space-saving. The Wondercutter also allows you to save on electricity, as its 25 W power makes energy consumption lower. It’s also easy to use – the main body has only a power button and battery indicator on it, and attached are a leg, belt clip, and cable, which attaches to the cutter itself.

While the button on the body of the Wondercutter turns the device on, you need to push the button on the side of the cutter’s handle to actually use it to cut materials, whether the parts are for architectural modeling, plastic model assembling, finishing FDM 3D printed parts, or removing the supports from your SLA prints. The handle also houses a transducer horn, or vibrator.

The Wondercutter device comes with 40 cutting blades, a charger, safety gloves, and a user guide.

“Cut anything you want,” the Wondercutter catalog boasts. “For WONDERCUTTER, cutting plastic is as easy as cutting cheese.”

While this ultrasonic cutting device does sound pretty great, I feel that this product marketing statement may be just a bit misleading. Having not used the Wondercutter myself, I can’t be certain – it could be the real deal, or it could be just press release speak.

But, if the pictures on Cutra’s website showing people of all ages using the Wondercutter at various shows and exhibitions are any indication, the device is as good as it sounds…music to the ears of people who want a faster way to remove the supports from their prints.

At the moment, Cutra is moving on from product development for its Wondercutter to marketing and sales. Hopefully, the rest of the 3D printing industry will soon have a chance to see and test out this unique ultrasonic cutting device, to see if it’s up to snuff for finishing 3D prints.

Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below. 

[Images: Cutra Co., Ltd.]

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Jumbo 3D Manufacturing Launches with New 3D FARM

By now, most everyone familiar with 3D printing knows about the Dubai 3D Printing Strategy, which aims to make the United Arab Emirates city-state the 3D printing capital of the world. Dubai’s accomplishments so far have included a 3D printed laboratory, a 3D printed office building, several medical innovations, improvements in transportation and much more. As 3D printing rapidly expands throughout the country, new facilities and companies are springing up to meet the many needs that are arising for the technology.

Jumbo Group is a leading diversified business in the UAE, established in 1974 and becoming the country’s leading distributor of IT and consumer electronics. Now the company has announced the launch of a new business called Jumbo 3D Manufacturing, which will be dedicated to 3D printing.

After the Dubai 3D Printing Strategy was announced, Jumbo opened its own 3D printing division, which was followed by a partnership with EnvisionTEC and HP. Now comes the launch of Jumbo 3D Manufacturing, accompanied by the opening of a new facility in partnership with HP 3D Printing Solutions. The facility, called the 3D FARM, is based around HP’s Multi Jet Fusion technology and focuses on applications including dental, architecture and more. In addition to MJF machines, the facility houses equipment for post processing, finishing and painting 3D printed products.

Entrepreneurs in the UAE who want to start their own businesses but lack financing, technical knowledge, or business planning support can take advantage of the facility to help advance their ideas. The 3D FARM will offer a variety of services including training, business consulting, proof of concept development, product design assistance and financing options.

“Jumbo’s 3D FARM will not only serve as a proof of concept for early adopters but will also act as an initiative to develop a community of collaborating professionals involved in 3D Manufacturing in the UAE,” said Arvind Agrawal, Head of Jumbo Group. “We will shortly announce partnerships with several 3D printing bureaus who will be joining this community. The objective is to pool the knowledge, design capability, skills and resources to create an eco-system for faster adoption of 3D printing technology in the country.”

In the months to come, Jumbo plans to expand its range of 3D printers to include the latest technologies in color, metal and concrete. As the United Arab Emirates continues to build toward its goal of leading the world in 3D printing, companies like Jumbo 3D Manufacturing, and facilities like the 3D FARM, will help entrepreneurs and small businesses to advance and form the foundation that the country needs. The news has been full of headlines about what the government of Dubai is doing with 3D printing, but the government can’t meet the UAE’s 3D printing goals alone – it needs the support of strong companies to take the technology to new levels. Jumbo 3D Manufacturing, along with the companies it helps to incubate, can provide that support and further help Dubai to reach its goals.

Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below. 

 

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Fraunhofer’s TwoCure technology realized in industry-ready 3D printer

TwoCure, an innovative SLA-based 3D printing method created at the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT in Germany, has been developed into a prototype additive manufacturing system. First presented by the institute and its partner German prototyping specialist Rapid Shape GmbH, TwoCure technology seeks to eliminate challenges associated with post processing. Support-free 3D printing  Like […]
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Q&A: RMIT’s Dr. Kate Fox adding nanodiamonds to 3D printed implants

3D Printing Industry recently covered a study from researchers at RMIT University, Australia, proving that diamond-coated titanium implants could improve biocompatibility within the body. Dr. Kate Fox led this research titled “Polycrystalline Diamond Coating of Additively Manufactured Titanium for Biomedical Applications,” which is published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. A senior lecturer at RMIT’s School of […]
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3D Printer with Augmented Reality #3DPrinting #AR

From Team Tactigon: Massimiliano, Michele Valentini on Hackster.io:

Hello! This is our latest project: an augmented reality application that connects to an OctoPrint instance and allows you to control your 3D printer – hands free!!!

Think about every time you had to level your heatbed, maybe with auto-level plugin, and switch from thumbscrews to the mouse, forth and back until the bed is OK.

Not to mention the need of the PC, or the browser on your mobile device, not always friendly on these devices.

Read more and see more on YouTube

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3D Printing in Residential Construction: Today’s Potential

As 3D printing began to infiltrate the mainstream in recent years—and all around the world—researchers, designers, engineers, and makers in nearly every field found a way to embrace the technology, enticed by infinite opportunities for creation, and many of which would not have been possible previously.

You may have found yourself joking initially that soon everything around us would be 3D printed, imagining the perfect family living in their 3D printed home with a 3D printed car, and the ability to 3D print everything from within! And true, it didn’t take long for strides to take hold in the construction (or automotive industry) industry, with homes, offices, and other structures being 3D printed from The Netherlands to China, and many other places in between; in fact, an entire village is being 3D printed in Italy.

As interest grows in 3D printing a variety of different residential structures, there is curiosity by many as to how this will affect the future of the construction industry—leading up to Jeffrey Hammond’s research paper, ‘3D Printing Homes Impact on the Residential Construction Industry.’ A researcher in construction management from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, Hammond discusses how new technology like 3D printing could help construction companies become more efficient.

Easy on-site assembly of fabricated pieces is a plus in construction 3D printing. Both a track-based printer (a track system is built into the foundation) and a radius printer (sitting in the middle of the home and printing upward and outward) are being used for most 3D construction projects today. Not only do these machines cut down on material waste, but they eliminate the need for manpower too:

“The only labor that is necessary is the labor needed to build the foundation, the roof, and any labor needed to build block-outs for windows and doors,” states Hammond. “Labor is eliminated to a large extent but given its current limitations and its layer by layer method of building, windows and doors need block-outs installed in order for the process to continue unless you want a completely enclosed structure with no natural light.”

“One of the largest limitations to the technology currently is the inability to print the roof which ensures that additional cost will be need to build the roof through current typical means and methods.”

An artist impression of the five 3D-printed concrete houses that will be realized in Eindhoven. [Image: Houben/Van Mierlo architects]

While there are other challenges such as the initial startup cost in purchasing 3D printing equipment for construction, issues with home aesthetics, and other factors inevitably to be discovered, the benefits are substantial, to include:

  • Rapid turnaround for homebuilding projects – allowing contractors to take on considerably more work each year, creating much more profit
  • Greater efficiency due to the additive manufacturing process, in comparison to subtractive processes which take more time and create more waste
  • Exponentially less cost due to the decreased need for construction labor and materials such as wood
  • Less challenge in having materials delivered to jobsites

From ‘3D Printing Homes Impact on the Residential Construction Industry.’

Hammond goes on to examine further potential for 3D printing residences in lower income areas:

“This technology has tremendous potential to impact those that don’t need anything besides a roof over their heads and security at night. No builder can turn around and build 3D printed homes for a profit currently based off what can be learned through research, yet his shouldn’t stop those that don’t intend to make a profit and are just trying to help the world and create a large amount of goodwill.”

“There are places around the world where the building restrictions are lower and the ability to mass produce these homes for those impoverished is vital humanitarian work. 3D printed homes can also be viable in the United States if a program was established by the government either for housing for those in extreme poverty or those in need of relief after a major disaster. These homes can provide much better shelters than those currently provided by disaster relief effort teams.”

As 3D printing technology stands today, Hammond sees its benefits as best suited to humanitarian projects where construction managers are not worrying about business goals or making a dollar.

“3D printed homes as they are currently made are not suitable for the United States residential construction industry but in time they can be a force on the industry changing the way homes are built,” concludes Hammond.

What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

[Source / Images: CalPoly]

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Take That, Quagga Mussels: Student Turns an Invasive Species into 3D Printer Filament

The quagga mussel is an invasive species that has caused a great deal of trouble in the Great Lakes. It’s an aggressive creature, native to eastern Europe, that kills other species, breeds quickly, and messes up ecosystems. But Davidson College sophomore Lorena James has found a use for quagga mussels – 3D printing them. When James was in high school, she came up with an idea in an entrepreneurship class – creating 3D printer filament out of the shell of the quagga mussel. Previously Spanish designer Carmen Brio also created a PLA filament from the shells of muscles and oysters from restaurants. In that case, the shells were ground down and the idea was to recycle restaurant waste and turn it into a higher impact filament. Laura James is doing this specifically with one kind of muscle local to her.

After pitching the idea to her class, James entered her Z Spools concept in the Cleveland Water Alliance Erie Hack competition and won. Now she has applied for a utility patent for the product, and is thinking about how to mass produce it.

Lorena James

3D printer filament has been made out of all sorts of bizarre materials, from the byproducts of beer brewing to another problematic species, algae. Creating filament from quagga mussels won’t solve the issue of the invasive species, but it’s an interesting concept, and an eco-friendly one.

“I do help relieve the issue of making the beach unsanitary and unpleasant for beach goers,” said James. “And bring attention to other issues. I’m also bring attention to invasive species issue, providing new method for sustainable 3D printing.”

Quagga mussel shells have the potential to produce attractive 3D prints, too – they may be a menace to the Great Lakes, but filament made from their shells is unique, producing a pale gray color.

To make the filament, James crushes up the quagga mussel shells and mixes them with PLA pellets, which she then extrudes using a filament extruder she purchased from Filabot. She plans to reach out to Filabot to see if they will mass produce her filament once she returns from Shanghai, where she is currently studying abroad. After that, James may pursue ideas that involve the use of other invasive species; she’s very interested in the idea of a circular economy. Her first idea, before she came up with the Z-Spools concept, was to sell hydrilla verticillata, an invasive water plant, as food. She scrapped that idea, however, after realizing how much pollution the plants absorb from the lake.

James’ passionate pursuit of her idea came from disappointment – her entrepreneurship class had no interest in her idea, preferring instead “startups involving pillows, cruises and ice cream, none of which solved any problems I viewed worth pursuing,” she said. She admits she was somewhat bitter, but she took that bitterness and channeled it into bigger things, like taking her idea to Erie Hack. That competition ended up being a catalyst for her business pursuits.

“Without Erie Hack, there’s no way I would have wanted to pursue entrepreneurship as early as I did,” she said.

James is only 19, but she has a strong vision and passion for helping the environment and making the world a better place. Her Z-Spools idea is an ingenious one – rather than simply getting quagga mussels off the beach, she is creating something useful with them. If she continues pursuing her ideas about turning invasive species into useful products, she could end up with a successful business, catering to the many people who feel the same way that she does about the environment.

“When I came to Cleveland for Erie Hack, I thought people in Cleveland appreciated Lake Erie more and found more uses, than people in Buffalo,” she said. “But it’s changing. People are appreciating lake more. When I return from Davidson I’ll be spending a lot more time on the lake. I think Z Spools has definitely brought me closer to the lake.”

Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below. 

[Source: Cleveland.com/Images courtesy of Lorena James]

 

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Watch: Thermwood 3D prints 12 foot aircraft tool for Boeing 777X

Indiana’s Thermwood Corporation, the developer and provider of Large Scale Additive Manufacturing (LSAM) technology, has conducted a joint demonstration program with global aircraft manufacturer Boeing. Completed in August 2018, the project culminated in Boeing’s purchase of an LSAM system and Thermwood’s delivery of a 12 foot long, 3D printed aircraft trim tool for development on […]