New industrial process for footwear manufacturing using 3D Bonding

Introduction

The 3D BONDING project addresses a disruptive process, based on a family of patents (Simplicity Works- PCT/ES2012/07001369) for highly automated and robotised manufacturing of high-end footwear.

Technology Overview

Through a polymer injection process, we bond materials in 3D (instead of stitching), which creates a stable skeleton without overlapping seams, in a few seconds. This technology eliminates the need for complex stitching operations, improving the mechanical properties of the footwear, including:

• Adaptation
• Comfort
• Permeability

Manufacturing Efficiency

3D Bonding simplifies footwear manufacturing by reducing the total number of operations to 20 (compared to 70 for traditional manufacturing). This results in:

1. A 72% reduction in labour costs associated with stitching and assembly.
2. A 50% reduction in material usage.
3. A 13% lower carbon footprint than traditionally made products.

Economic Impact

Moreover, our 3D BONDING project can bring back the manufacturing process to the EU, resulting in:

• Reduced delivery times
• Multiple job positions
• A stronger economy for the EU