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

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.