SBIR Phase II: Pellet based 3D print extrusion process for shoe manufacturing

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力在于开发一种新型的具有成本效益的3D打印工艺来制造鞋类。目前，大多数鞋类是大规模制造的，通常在海外，使用不满足个人特定需求的固定模具。鞋类的3D打印提供了提供个性化定制的承诺，不仅适合，风格和颜色，而且还适合个人生物力学和/或医疗需求。然而，要使鞋类的3D打印具有足够的成本效益，使其可以提供给不仅仅是少数几个人，还存在许多技术挑战。该项目开发了一种新颖且具有成本效益的3D打印工艺，使用现成且可回收的热塑性颗粒来制造鞋类的关键部件。这种新颖的3D打印工艺将能够制造出任何其他制造工艺都无法制造的新型创新鞋类设计。此外，它将使鞋类的大规模定制成为现实，为许多人提供健康的可定制鞋类。与目前在海外进行的传统制造工艺不同，这种新型制造技术非常适合在美国当地实施。因此，该项目不仅有助于将鞋类制造业迁回美国，为税收创造收入，还将在制造业创造全新的清洁、安全的就业机会。该项目由一位在生物力学和制造业方面具有独特专长的女医生兼科学家领导，开发了一种新颖且成本低廉的有效的3D打印技术，将弹性材料的专有混合物打印到一种新颖的鞋底设计中，该设计是在二十多年的生物力学研究该项目正在开发的主要创新是安装在3D打印机上的专用塑化螺杆挤出机，专门设计用于制造鞋类，该挤出机独特可靠地挤出最适合鞋类的可回收热弹性材料，其最具成本效益的原料形式：颗粒。该项目还开发了一种新型的健康和可定制的鞋底设计，基于主要研究者的生物力学研究，只有通过这种制造技术创新才能实现。最后，该项目开发了一种基于生物力学研究的算法，用于根据个人的特定生物力学特征和/或特定医疗需求定制使用该技术制成的鞋类。该项目将允许一种新颖的，具有成本效益的制造过程，其中一组3D打印机同时运行，每个打印机都生产自己的定制鞋和/或定制鞋组件，不仅适合而且适合个人的特定生物力学特征和/或医疗需求。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project lies in the development of a novel cost-effective 3D printing process to manufacture footwear. Currently most footwear is mass manufactured, typically overseas, using fixed molds that do not meet the specific needs of an individual. 3D printing of footwear offers the promise of providing individual customization tailored not just to fit, style, and colors, but also to individual biomechanics and/or medical needs. However, a number of technical challenges exist to make 3D printing of footwear sufficiently cost-effective that it can be provided beyond just a select few individuals. This project develops a novel and cost-effective 3D printing process to manufacture the critical components of footwear, using readily available and recyclable thermoplastic pellets. This novel 3D printing process will enable the manufacture of new, innovative footwear designs that cannot be made with any other manufacturing process. Additionally, it will make mass customization of footwear a reality, providing access to healthy customizable footwear for many individuals. Unlike traditional manufacturing processes currently being done overseas, this novel manufacturing technology is very amenable to implementing in the United States on a local level. Thus, this project will not only help move footwear manufacturing back to the United States, generating income for tax revenue, it will create entirely new clean, safe jobs in manufacturing.This project, led by a woman physician-scientist with a unique combination of expertise in both biomechanics and manufacturing, develops a novel and cost-effective 3D printing technology to print a proprietary mix of elastomeric material into a novel sole design that was developed on the basis of over twenty years of biomechanics research. The primary innovation that is being developed in this project is a specialized plasticizing screw-based extruder mounted on a 3D printer, specifically designed to make footwear, that uniquely and reliably extrudes a recyclable, thermo-elastomeric material that is most suitable for footwear, from its most cost-effective raw form: pellets. This project also develops a novel healthy and customizable sole design, based on the principal investigator's biomechanical research, which can only be made with this manufacturing technology innovation. Finally, this project develops a biomechanically research-based algorithm for customizing footwear made with this technology based on an individual's specific biomechanical profile and/or specific medical need. This project will allow for a novel, cost-effective manufacturing process where a bank of 3D printers operate simultaneously, each producing their own made-to-order pair of footwear and/or footwear components customized not only to fit but to an individual's specific biomechanical profile and/or medical need.