Stratasys Uses 3D Printing to Help Personalize and Upcycle Garments

Stratasys desires to take shoppers’ used clothes to a different dimension.

The 3D printing firm introduced final week that it had launched a direct-to-garment resolution as an addition to its current TechStyle printer, the J580. The printer will now be capable of apply colourful, 3D-printed designs onto pre-existing clothes, which Stratasys expects will entice shoppers in search of personalised experiences and magnificence.

The corporate introduced its City Tattoo denim assortment earlier this month at Texprocess in Germany. The gathering is supposed to “promote a deeper emotional connection” with clothes, in the identical manner that folks really feel linked to tattoos on their our bodies.

Designers like Karim Rashid, Travis Fitch and Zlatko Yanakiev helped develop the City Tattoo assortment, which Stratasys mentioned it believes will “attraction to a number of manufacturers that attain throughout numerous socio-economic backgrounds.”

Zehavit Reisin, senior vp of economic options for Stratasys, mentioned that stage of customization provides manufacturers the chance to meaningfully apply the 3D printing know-how.

“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,” Reisin mentioned in a press release. “We’re giving manufacturers the chance to do one thing exceptional, to deliver extra character to their clothes line, whereas pushing a extra sustainable enterprise observe that appeals to a number of audiences throughout the patron spectrum.”

Stratsys will make the direct-to-garment printing trays in two totally different sizes, which can assist keep away from pointless waste and help a variety of clothes and sizes. The system can be utilized on denim, cotton, polyester and linen, in line with the corporate.

The know-how’s multifaceted use instances may assist persuade manufacturers and shoppers alike of the artistic methods they will use additive design to upcycle clothes.

In response to researchers, the common American shopper generates 82 kilos of textile waste yearly. Some manufacturers have already turned to restore and resale packages, whereas others have began take again packages for eventual textile recycling. But when shoppers can repurpose gadgets earlier than finish of life, they could be inclined to buy fewer clothes new.

Naomi Kaempfer, Stratasys’ artistic director, mentioned the know-how goes a step past embellishment—it provides life to clothes, which in flip provides shoppers the liberty to precise themselves by way of their clothes.

“By including layers of tales and symbolism that resonate with the individuality of the wearer, these tattoos assist shoppers promote their id, and have a good time their individuality. It’s a testomony to the transformative energy of additive manufacturing know-how in trend,” she mentioned in a press release.