Stratasys Partners with ECCO to Accelerate Footwear Manufacturing with 3D Printing Technology

Shoe manufacturer ECCO is utilizing Stratasys Origin One 3D systems and Henkel Loctite resin to speed up production.

ECCO accelerates product development by integrating Stratasys Origin One 3D printers and materials by Henkel Loctite. (Image courtesy of Stratasys and ECCO.)

ECCO accelerates product development by integrating Stratasys Origin One 3D printers and materials by Henkel Loctite. (Image courtesy of Stratasys and ECCO.)

Polymer 3D printing solutions developer Stratasys revealed that it is partnering with Danish shoe manufacturer ECCO to accelerate shoe design and production with the use of 3D printing technology. The shoe company is currently using Stratasys Origin One 3D printing systems for product development and manufacturing. According to ECCO, this will enable the company to review conceptual footwear samples early in the development cycle by using 3D-printed molds and lasts made from custom resin materials such as those offered by Henkel Loctite.

Stratasys Origin One systems are based on the proprietary P3 technology, which utilizes computer vision and over 25 environmental sensors to monitor and adjust the printing process. It ensures that light, temperature, pull forces and pneumatics are consistently optimized for accurate and repeatable injection molding part quality. According to ECCO, the P3 technology is integrated with the company’s Direct Injection Process (DIP) to provide an efficient technique for securing the upper part of the shoe to the midsole.

“Our innovative approach to footwear development and desire to put customer experience as a priority made additive manufacturing a logical next step in the evolution of our development process,” said Jakob Møller Hansen, ECCO vice president of research and development. “In our search to find the right partner, we tested a variety of 3D printers for surface quality, print speed and accuracy. Among the printers we tested, the Stratasys Origin One was the 3D printer that best met our stringent requirements.”

Both 3D-printed molds and lasts are similar in quality to CNC machined aluminum molds and lasts while being more efficient and cost-effective. This has enabled the shoe manufacturer to speed up product development and lead times.

The material used for molds and lasts was developed by Stratasys in collaboration with additive manufacturing materials developer Henkel Loctite. The new Loctite resin was specially formulated according to the requirements of the DIP process. Thanks to the resin’s durability, ECCO can produce shoe molds that are capable of undergoing thousands of shots with no visible degradation. This means that the 3D-printed molds are not only suitable for prototyping but can also be used to manufacture branded shoes for presale as well as those based on customer feedback. In addition, the shoe company can use the technology to develop mold inserts on location, eliminating the need to ship metal molds.

“ECCO’s case is a great example of how the footwear industry is embracing additive manufacturing for functional shoe parts, which goes beyond typical applications like sport shoe cushioning,” shared Origin cofounder and CTO for Stratasys’ Production P3 Chris Prucha. “We were able to collaborate with ECCO to provide a solution that allowed them to further innovate their processes and produce a quicker development workflow.”

ECCO is currently interested in bringing its production method to the rest of the footwear industry. The company is planning various routes to market that will enable the integration of 3D-printed DIP tooling. ECCO has been using direct injection techniques for years. The company recently debuted its 3D-printed custom silicone midsoles in 2019, which were produced in partnership with Origin, the startup acquired by Stratasys early this year.

For more information on the One Origin 3D systems, visit Stratasys website. To view ECCO’s latest products, visit the company website.