Stratasys targets fashion sustainability with new Direct-to-Garment 3D printing technology

3D printer producer Stratasys has introduced the launch of the brand new Direct-to-Garment (D2G) characteristic for its J850 TechStyle style 3D printer.

This new providing provides to the corporate’s vary of 3DFashion direct-to-textile expertise, and permits clothes producers to 3D print multi-material designs instantly onto current clothes corresponding to denims and jackets. 

Suitable with denim, cotton, polyester, and linen materials, D2G permits style manufacturers to personalize particular person clothes merchandise to fulfill buyer preferences and kinds. Based on Stratasys, this new providing permits designers to reduce materials waste by changing current clothes gadgets into new, bespoke style merchandise. 

“Many manufacturers are restricted in how a lot they will mass produce denim clothes whereas sustaining a stage of personalization that has which means to the wearer,” defined Stratasys’ Senior Vice President Business Options, Zehavit Reisin. 

“We’re giving manufacturers the chance to do one thing outstanding, to carry extra character to their clothes line, whereas pushing a extra sustainable enterprise apply that appeals to a number of audiences throughout the buyer spectrum.”

The corporate has partnered with main designers Karim Rashid, Travis Fitch, and Zlatko Yanakiev to showcase D2G expertise by way of the City Tattoo denim assortment.  

This showcase seeks to focus on how Stratasys 3D printing can be utilized to upcycle and revitalize previous denim clothes for a extra sustainable style provide chain. The City Tattoo assortment will likely be unveiled on April 23 on the Texprocess exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany.     

3D printing sustainable style  

Launched in 2022, Stratasys’ J850 TechStyle is optimized for the customization of high-end clothes, baggage, equipment, and footwear. Boasting a construct quantity of 460 x 360 x 50mm (on materials as much as 2m²), the style 3D printer can be utilized with a complete vary of Stratasys resins. 

These supplies embrace the corporate’s Agilus30 for full-color versatile designs and Vero resin. The latter permits the manufacturing of clear designs that characteristic a comfortable, silk-like really feel. Moreover, Stratasys VeroVivid resin can be utilized to realize over 600,000 distinctive colour gradients and a variety of hardness ranges.     

Stratasys’ latest addition to its 3DFashion portfolio comes within the type of D2G tray kits, which can be found in two sizes. This expertise permits customers to calibrate their J850 3D printer to fulfill a variety of garment sizes, and 3D print full-color designs instantly onto current gadgets of clothes. 

D2G seeks to extend the sustainability of the style business, permitting clothes producers to avoid wasting materials by upcycling previous clothes with distinctive 3D printed designs.

This aligns with Stratasys’ purpose of attaining Aware Manufacturing by selling extra sustainable and environmentally pleasant practices. The corporate factors to a latest examine by the Additive Producer Inexperienced Commerce Affiliation (AMGTA) as highlighting the environmental advantages of its style 3D printing expertise. 

Based on the report, the Stratasys J850 TechStyle enabled a 24.8% discount in CO2e emissions and a 48% discount in inventory materials when producing a 3D emblem for luxurious footwear. What’s extra, additive manufacturing requires 64% much less electrical energy than the standard injection molding and thermal bonding manufacturing course of. 

The style business adopts 3D printing 

The style sector is witnessing rising adoption of 3D printing, with luxurious designers recognizing its advantages for the manufacturing of bespoke style equipment.

Earlier this 12 months, Israeli 3D printer producer XJet collaborated with high-end style agency  XOLUTIONS to handle rising demand for chrome steel style equipment with 3D printing. 

This partnership has seen XOLUTIONS purchase an XJet Carmel 1400M steel 3D printer. The system is getting used to broaden analysis and improvement into the usage of steel 3D printing within the luxurious sector, together with for the manufacturing of bijou. Using XJet’s NanoParticle Jetting expertise, the Carmel 1400M offers the excessive decision and floor smoothness that’s important for high-end style merchandise. 

Elsewhere, 3D printing firm Chromatic 3D Supplies and Dutch designer Anouk Wipprecht partnered to create a 3D printed gown that includes responsive LED lights. The garment, which was displayed at Formnext 2023, represented an early instance of electronics being built-in instantly into 3D printed elastomers.     

The gown was 3D printed from Chromatic’s ChromaFlow 70 warmth resistance materials, which may stretch greater than 4 instances its size with out breaking. This flexibility makes it nicely suited to the style business, and the manufacturing of clothes starting from swimwear to leisure attire.    

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Featured picture exhibits Stratasys’ Direct-to-Garment (D2G) 3D printing course of. Picture by way of Stratasys.