我们往往不会在3D打印媒体网络上以第一人称写文章，但是，在这种情况下，我将例外，因为我正在撰写我的最新项目：关于鞋类增材制造的最新研究报告，刚刚由SmarTech Analysis发布。在这份新的鞋类AM 2020报告中，我研究了用于鞋类系列，批量和批量定制生产的增材制造的硬件技术，新材料和新应用方面的最新趋势。

We tend not to write articles in the first person on 3D Printing Media Network, however, I will make an exception in this case, as I’m writing about my latest project: the new edition of my study on footwear additive manufacturing, which was just published by SmarTech Analysis. In this new footwear AM 2020 report, I looked at the latest trends in terms of hardware technologies, new materials and new applications of additive manufacturing for footwear serial, mass and mass customized production.

多亏了一些了不起的公司和设计师（Voxel8，voxeljet，ECCO / Quant-U，Prodways，Kings3D和鞋类设计师Nolan Kim以及其他许多人）的贡献，我发现一个细分市场非常活跃，充满严肃和具有商业用途的中底，鞋垫和鞋面AM应用，使我预测到2030年，整个市场的年收入（包括所有AM硬件，材料和应用）将接近90亿美元。

Thanks to contributions from some amazing companies and designers (Voxel8, voxeljet, ECCO/Quant-U, Prodways, Kings3D, and footwear designer Nolan Kim above all but many others as well), I found a segment that is extremely dynamic, with serious and commercially ready AM applications in midsoles, insoles and uppers, that have led me to forecast a total market that could near $9 billion in yearly revenues (including all AM hardware, materials and applications) by 2030.

这些贡献以及广泛的研究帮助进一步发展了我的预测模式，这是我在本报告的上一版（一年多前发布）中已经开发的。该第一版在描述市场，技术和地理趋势方面已经走了很长一段路。但是此后发生了很多事情，甚至比我最初的预期还多。这份新报告反映了增材制造和鞋类领域的许多利益相关者采取了更加“实用”和可持续的方法。

These contributions, together with extensive research, helped to further evolve my forecast mode, which I had already developed for the previous edition of this report (published just a little over a year ago). That first edition already went a long way into describing the market, its technological and some of its geographic trends. But a lot has happened since – even more than I had initially expected – and this new report reflects a much more “practical” and sustainable approach by many stakeholders in the AM and in the footwear segment.

在报告中，我深入探讨了全球鞋类细分市场提供的收入机会，反映了3D打印正在影响鞋类生产的进展：原型制作，工具和最终零件。我还将分析鞋类行业不断发展的情况对增材制造硬件，增材制造材料，增材制造服务和增材制造软件的影响。

In the report I provided a deep dive into the revenue opportunities offered by the global footwear segment, reflecting advances where 3D printing is impacting footwear production: prototyping, tooling and final parts. I also include an updated analysis of how AM hardware, AM materials, AM service and AM software are impacted by the evolving footwear industry scenario.

已识别和分类了该细分市场中的所有关键运营商，分析了所有主要技术和所有增材制造材料类别在鞋类零件生产方面的潜力，以便从各个角度评估相关的收入机会。在这些文件中，我介绍了参与3D打印鞋类革命的主要制造商，包括（但不限于）：Carbon，voxeljet，HP，Voxel8，Kings3D，Formlabs，Stratasys，3D Systems，EOS，Prodways，BASF，ECCO，德国RepRap ，阿迪达斯，耐克，锐步，新百伦，Under Armour和Timberland。为了提供这种最新的市场情况，我对许多重要的市场创新者进行了广泛的采访。

All key operators in this segment have been identified and classified, all major technologies and all AM material classes have been analyzed for their potential on footwear part production in order to assess the associated revenue opportunities from all angles. Among these, I profiled the key manufacturers involved in the 3D printed footwear revolution including (and not limited to): Carbon, voxeljet, HP, Voxel8, Kings3D, Formlabs, Stratasys, 3D Systems, EOS, Prodways, BASF, ECCO, German RepRap, Adidas, Nike, Reebok, New Balance, Under Armour, Timberland. I conducted extensive interviews with many of these key market innovators in order to provide this most up-to-date market scenario.

Voxeljet即将推出的VX1000 HSS系统-大型平面PBF机-将能够使用该公司的Greyscale技术批量生产鞋类中底。

Voxeljet’s upcoming VX1000 HSS system – a massive planar PBF machine – will be able to serially manufacture footwear midsoles using the company’s Greyscale technology.

到2030年，预计每年将产生90亿美元的收入，总的来说，应用是主要的创收机会，到2030年，最终用途零件将占鞋类AM相关收入的近一半。在消费者业务领域，应用有机会如果硬件能够支持更高的生产率，则可以实现真正的扩展。光聚合（例如Carbon和adidas在中底上使用的光聚合，以及许多工具和成型应用中的光聚合）仍然是制鞋业中最重要的增材制造技术，并且预计在可预见的未来以及整个预测期内都将如此。光聚合在该领域如此占优势的原因是，它提供了多种不同的技术替代方案，可满足多种关键鞋类应用的需求。

WIthin the expected $9 billion revenues generated yearly by 2030, applications, in general, are the main revenue generation opportunity, with end-use parts representing nearly half of all footwear AM associated revenues by 2030. In a consumer business segment, applications have the opportunity to truly scale, if hardware will be able to support higher productivity. Photopolymerization – such as that used by Carbon and adidas on midsoles, but also for many tooling and molding applications  – remains the most relevant AM technology in the footwear industry and is expected to remain so for the foreseeable future and thus the entire forecast period. The reason why photopolymerization is so dominant in this segment is that it offers several different technological alternatives which cater to multiple key footwear applications.

通过挤出技术提高有效3D打印热固性塑料的能力可能是过去一年中出现并巩固的最重要的新趋势之一。但是，正如我们在上一章中所看到的，鞋类增材制造的市场仍然（并且预计将继续）很大程度上取决于工业桶光聚合和聚合物粉末床熔融技术。在这两种情况下，最终用途的关键材料都是改性聚氨酯。在粉末床熔合中，使用最广泛的材料有望是热塑性聚氨酯（TPU）。

The improved ability to effectively 3D print thermosets by extrusion technology may be one of the most significant new trends that have emerged and consolidated over the past year. However, as we saw in the previous chapter, the market for footwear AM is still—and is expected to continue to be—very much dependent on industrial vat photopolymerization and polymer powder bed fusion technologies. In both cases, the key materials for end-use applications are modified polyurethanes. In powder bed fusion the most widely used material is expected to be thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).

ECCO的Quant-U方法使用硅材料挤出技术，使用相对标准的镶嵌鞋底，在具有空心的特殊开发产品中进行3D打印中底。

ECCO’s Quant-U approach uses silicon material extrusion for 3D printing midsoles in specially developed products with a hollow-core, using relatively standard inlay soles.

通过鞋类领域的外部3D打印服务提供商进行AM生产的市场动态正在不断发展。最初，当该细分市场几乎完全专注于定制鞋垫生产时，专门的“与应用程序无关”的AM服务提供商被证明是满足生产要求的主要解决方案，因为他们拥有满足小批量批量定制的知识和工厂。

Market dynamics for AM production via external 3D printing service providers in the footwear segment are constantly evolving. In the beginning—when the segment was almost entirely concentrated on custom insoles production, specialized “application-agnostic” AM service providers proved to be the primary solution for production requirements as they possessed the knowledge and the machine park to meet small-batch mass customization demands.

最后，尽管3D打印鞋类具有巨大潜力，但仍然存在挑战。 这项业务有可能实现大批量生产，但是这一事实也导致了“未来的制鞋厂”对自动化的需求。 同样重要的是，需要充分利用AM技术带来的几何和性能优势。 这可能会涉及使用高级CAD / CAE软件。 现在有可能为中底设计出优化的点阵结构，这种结构只有通过3D打印才能有效地产生。 现在，生产团队可以在现场快速创建原型以提供即时反馈，从而大大简化了概念创建过程。 增材制造正在改变鞋类的整体设计过程。

Finally, despite the considerable potential for 3D-printed footwear, there remain challenges. High volumes are possible in this business, but this fact also creates a need for automation in the “shoe factory of the future.” Also important is the need to fully exploit the geometric and performance benefits enabled by AM technologies. This will potentially involve the use of advanced CAD/CAE software. It is now possible to design optimized lattice structures for midsoles that can be effectively produced only by 3D printing. Now, production teams can create prototypes rapidly on-site for instant feedback, significantly streamlining the concept creation process. Additive manufacturing is transforming the overall design process for footwear.

文章来源：3dprintingmedia